I Will Be With You For Evermore
by ImagineATale
Summary: Shelved until I figure out what to do next with this one. Formerly called I Wish To Return. Alternative ending based on 2017 remake. What if Belle decides she wants to return to the castle after rescuing her father? And what if she leaves the mirror with the Beast?
1. Not Much Hope Left

**Author's Note: Here's my second alternative ending to the 2017 remake. What if Belle didn't take the mirror back to the village, and planned to return to the castle? I have not decided yet whether or not the curse will ultimately be lifted.**

Belle's POV

"You must go to him. No time to waste."

Yes, he had indeed said it. He had released her from her captivity to rescue her father. And Belle knew he was right. She had to get going. She did not yet know where they were taking her father or why, but she had to get there just as fast as Philippe's four legs could carry her. And yet she found herself sad to leave. She tried to hand the mirror back to the Beast, but he declined.

"No, take it with you," he said. "So you can always look back on me."

"Thank you," Belle said. She wanted to say more, but words failed her. She turned to leave. But when she got to the door of the Beast's room, she paused. She looked back toward the Beast.

Why, even knowing her father was in trouble, and knowing she was now free, was the idea of leaving the castle not sitting well with her? Had ten minutes even elapsed since she rhetorically asked if anyone could really be happy if they aren't free?

"Beast," she said walking back toward him. She knew what she wanted to do. "Could I bring Papa back here? You know, to live?"

The Beast was startled by this question. Despite hope flooding through him, he would not allow himself to get excited.

"You are free to go," he said softly. "I was wrong all this time to hold you. I'd been wrong to hold your father. And now he's being held again. In freeing you I hope I can right my wrong, even a little."

"And I thank you," Belle said. "With being free to go, I know I shouldn't ask for more, but...could I also be free to return?"

"Of course," the Beast said. "But I don't want you feeling obligated to do so."

"I know, and I don't," Belle said. "Truth is, I don't think I can be free in a village that gossips about me because I love to read. A village that dumps laundry from a contraption I made so that I could read while doing the laundry, just because I had the audacity to teach a girl to read. A village that is carting my father off who knows where or why." She then held the mirror out to the Beast once more. "I will return. And I'd feel better if you kept this. That way if I don't return...and I hope to by sunrise at the latest...I know there's nothing you could do but you could at least know why. I have a feeling Gaston may be behind this. If I'm right, things could go south and I wouldn't want you just wondering."

"Gaston?" the Beast asked, taking the proffered mirror.

"The village hunter and war hero," Belle said. Her nose wrinkled. "God's gift to women, he thinks. And he thinks that _I_ am God's gift to _him_! I kept spurning his advances. I tried to be polite, but finally just before coming here I had to flat out tell him that I would never marry him. I have a feeling he hasn't been too happy about that."

"You'd better go," the Beast said. "I'll check in on you about when you should get to the village to see that you and your father are okay."

"Thank you," Belle said, squeezing his paw briefly before turning and walking briskly out.

Beast's POV

The Beast watched from his balcony as Belle rode away in Philippe. He then went back into the room and sighed as he caught a glimpse of the rose. Even if she returned no later than sunrise as she'd hoped, it would likely be too late. He would have to tell the staff, some of whom were entering the room, that their fate was, more than likely, sealed. As Cogsworth spoke first, the Beast hated that he was about to take the optimism of the mantel clock and smash it under a ton of bricks.

"I let her go," the Beast said sadly. Even though she expected to return, he knew he'd likely be the only one not completely inanimate.

"How could you do that?" Lumiere asked.

"I had to."

"But why?" Cogsworth wanted to know.

"Because he loves her," Mrs. Potts said.

"Then why are we not human?" the candelabra asked.

"Simple," Cogsworth said. "She doesn't love him. And now it's too late."

"Maybe she'll come back?" Plumette offered hopefully.

"That's her plan," the Beast said. "Though I set her free and told her she was not obligated to return. I...I tried to tell her how I felt. I asked if she could be happy here and she asked if anyone could be if they're not free. I realized she missed her father and brought her up here to show her the mirror. He's in some kind of trouble...they're taking him somewhere. So I told her to go to him. She asked if she could bring him back here and I said she could."

"So there's hope," Mrs. Potts said. "Master, why are you so glum, dear?"

"Because there's hardly any hope," the Beast said. "Even if things go according to plan, there's so little time left. She may not make it in time. So even if she were to love me it might be too late. And that's assuming things go smoothly at the village."

"What's happening with her father?" Lumiere asked.

"We don't quite know," the Beast said. "But she has a feeling the man whose marriage proposal she turned down just before coming here is up to no good. I think it's why she wants to come back here, and why things may not go well. Before she said she wanted to return I told her to take the mirror to remember me by. When she decided to come back she insisted I keep the mirror so if she didn't return I'd know why and wouldn't have to wonder. I think she's worried she'll run into trouble. She said she knew there was nothing I could do if there was a problem but she wanted me to be able to know. I have a feeling she hopes I'll be able to do something even though she said she knew I wouldn't be able to. Either way if I see there's trouble, if I see things going south, I intend to figure something out. I told her I'd look in on her around the time she should reach the village."

"So she will come back," Lumiere said, trying to hold some optimism. "There might still be time. She is capable of loving you."

But the Beast just shook his head sadly.

"Look at the rose," he said. "Just three pet-oh no!" He watched as yet another petal lost its grip on the stem. "Two petals left," he whispered, then watched in utter helplessness as the curse tightened its grip upon those he saw less as servants and more as friends he didn't deserve.

"My gears are wound a little tighter now," Cogsworth groaned as things settled back down.

"I'm so sorry," the Beast choked out, unable to hide the despair from his voice. "I don't know why she made the curse so much worse for you. I'll be forever a Beast but at least I get to remain as I am. I'm the one who brought this whole mess down upon us. Yet I get to live. While you all turn into..."

"Rubbish," Cogsworth finished, causing the Beast to wince quite visibly at the thought.

"You know I never cared," the Beast said. "Even under the curse I regret to say not much thought was given to your fate. I thought if some girl came along and I learned to love and she learned to love me...not that I ever thought it would happen but if it did I was more concerned about myself being free than you all. I guess I thought learning to love would strictly mean just the one whose love I hoped to earn. Now that Belle came and I learned to love it's not just her I care about. I love and care for all of you. Funny thing is at this point I almost don't even care if I remain a beast forever. Just knowing what the curse will do to all of you as it takes full effect...it's...the thing that disturbs me most is I don't know if you'll all be essentially dead or..."

His voice trailed off.

"What is it Master?" the motherly Mrs. Potts asked. "You're worried we might suffer a fate worse than death, aren't you?"

"If...if you have all the appearances of ordinary inanimate objects...but were forever imprisoned in the objects you will then completely be...aware but unable to move or communicate..." the Beast said. "Don't get me wrong the thought of you all dying is nearly unbearable. But if you're aware once the curse has full effect..."

"I guess we must hold onto the hope she'll be back in time," Lumiere said. "And that she'll love you."

"That hope is slim Lumiere," the Beast said. "Granted a shred of hope does remain but I'd be doing you a disservice to encourage false hope. If I can give you nothing else I can at least give you honesty...which means acknowledging that the odds aren't in our favor."

"Maybe it would be better for all concerned if she'd never come at all, never given us any sense of hope," Cogsworth said. "Never let us watch our master's heart soften to the point he cares about those around him."

At the last sentence, the Beast looked down at his chief of staff, crest fallen. Utterly wounded.

"Cogsworth, you think him not having softened is preferable?" Lumiere asked. "What have I told you about a broken clock being right two times a day?"

"That it wasn't one of those times," Cogsworth said. "If I recall, you last said that when Belle first arrived and I said she could never love him. Starting to look like that was one of those times to be right, isn't it?"

"No mon ami," Lumiere said. "They're so close...she's already close to loving him. And saying that it would be better if the master never learned to love is also not one of those times for being right. And quite unkind to say, especially in his presence."

"I think I'm glad I've learned to love," the Beast said softly. "And softened. I just wish the lesson hadn't come too late. If you must fall under full effect of the spell, I want you to know it's not without my grieving for you. I appreciate you all. I'm just sorry that was not the case until recently." He sighed. "Now go. Our time has almost passed. I'd...rather not have to watch you turn completely. I suppose that makes me a coward."

The staff all looked sadly into their master's eyes before taking their leave. Mrs. Potts lingered in the doorway, then turned back and moved closer to the Beast.

"Don't be too disheartened by what Cogsworth said sir," she said soothingly. "Of course we're all glad to see you changed. Your mother would be proud of you dear. I'm sure she rolled many a time in that grave of hers as your father caused the kindness she was instilling in you to be buried so deep you forgot it was within you. You've become the person your mother had hoped you'd become. No matter what happens to us, or whether or not Belle loves you, never forget you're the kind soul we always knew you could be. No matter what you are on the outside, you're no beast inside, and if we must go we'll go with that knowledge as comfort."

The Beast offered a small flicker of a smile but remained silent.

"Shall I make some tea and bring Chip up?" Mrs. Potts asked. "Might be the last hot cup of tea I'll ever be able to make for you."

"No," the Beast said. "Thank you but no. He'll probably want to do his bubble trick and I'll see it knowing he's to lose his playful antics. I know you always admonished him for that and while I always gave it a rather gruff reception it was one of the few things that I secretly smiled about when I was alone. Oh Chip. He's just an innocent little lad. Mrs. Potts I'm so sorry."

"Things are what they are," Mrs. Potts said, trying to keep a brave face. But she knew she was not fooling the Beast. She couldn't fully hide the distress she felt at the idea of her son becoming just an ordinary teacup. She turned and left, wanting to spend what time remained with her boy, but also wanting to spare her beloved master having to further witness her grief.

The Beast watched her leave, almost wishing he'd accepted the offer of tea, almost wanting to see Chip blow bubbles one more time. Yet he also knew he wouldn't be able to bear it.


	2. Gaston Receives An Earful

Belle's POV

Were those hoofbeats or heartbeats Belle heard as Philippe galloped through the woods? Probably both. For sure she heard hoofbeats, and her heart sure felt like it was pounding just as loud. She felt bad for Philippe, who she was riding as hard as possible, and she knew he was beginning to tire.

"Keep going Philippe," she said when his pace slowed a bit. "We're almost there. Papa needs us to hurry. I know you're tired but you've got to push just a few minutes more okay? Good boy Philippe. You're such a good boy."

Philippe, seeming to understand, picked his pace back up. Soon she let him slow to a canter as they came into Villeneuve. And the sight that greeted her was a very unwelcome one. Her father was thrown into the asylum wagon! Gaston was saying something to him that Belle couldn't make out. Maurice must not have told Gaston what the latter wanted to hear, for Gaston closed him in and ordered him taken away.

"Stop!" Belle yelled as she urged Philippe into the crowd before bringing him to a stop and dismounting. "Let him go!"

"I'm afraid we can't do that," Monsieur D'Arque, the asylum keeper said. "But we'll take good care of him."

"My father is not crazy!" Belle cried.

"He was raving about a beast in a castle," LeFou said.

"I just came from the castle," Belle said. "There is a beast. "

"You'd say anything to help him," Gaston said. "You're word is hardly proof!"

"You want proof?" Belle said. "Look at the dress I'm wearing. Much to fancy for me to get from a peasant source. When I looked in the Beast's enchanted mirror and saw you taking my father into custody I didn't even take the time to change into my peasant dress."

At this, the mob erupted in laughter.

"Enchanted mirror eh?" someone yelled. "Guess craziness runs in the family!"

"Belle," Gaston said, voice dripping with feigned concern. "Apparently your father isn't the only one in need of Monsieur D'Arque's help."

LeFou pulled Gaston aside.

"Uh, Gaston? Perhaps you're being...slightly hasty? She does have a point about that dress."

"Well I don't see her producing a mirror LeFou," Gaston said. He then started toward Belle.

Beast's POV

The Beast suddenly realized how tightly his paw was gripping the handle of the mirror. Fur bristled as a growl sounded. First he'd asked to see Gaston. The man that showed up in the mirror was telling Belle's father he wouldn't have to go to the madhouse if he'd just promise Gaston Belle's hand in marriage. Maurice refused and the wagon door slammed shut and Gaston ordered him taken away. When the Beast heard Belle announce her presence, he directed the mirror to shift its focus on her. And what he was seeing was making him angry.

 _Yep, things are going south_ , he thought once the crowd laughed about her enchanted mirror comment, practically ignoring her very valid point about the dress. The Beast briefly wished she had taken the mirror, but then an idea came to him. _Time to give them the proof they demand_ , he thought as he burst out of the west wing, still holding the mirror, and running as fast as he could towards the library.

Lumiere and Cogsworth saw their master in an apparent panic and ran after him.

"Master!" Lumiere called as the two sentient appliances reached the library. "What's wrong? You look like you're running from a ghost!"

"Belle's in the village and things aren't going well," the Beast said. He set the mirror down on a table and grabbed the enchanted book he had previously despised. "I said before this was the enchantress' cruelest trick but now it may be my greatest ally. Perhaps Belle and her father's only hope of staying out of the insane asylum!"

"Insane asylum?" Cogsworth asked.

"No time to explain other than apparently she tried to corroborate his story about a beast and they say she has no proof. If you want to know more you'll have to watch in the mirror. I'm going to go give them their proof!"

With that, the Beast placed his paw on the page, silently willing himself to the edge of the mob. Once he found himself with the mob before him, he hid the book inside his cloak.

Omniscient POV

Gaston held the door of the asylum wagon open with one hand and Belle's wrist tightly in the other.

"Now Belle try to be reasonable," he said. "It grieves me to see either of you go to the loony bin. Now if you'll just agree to marry me, and tell us you're just kidding about the Beast, I won't put you in this wagon. I might even be charitable and let your father out, if he agrees to give his blessing which he's thus far been reluctant to do."

"Why would I give my blessing?" Maurice shouted angrily. "You only have me on the way to the madhouse to cover your own rotten posterior after trying to kill me!"

"What?" Belle gasped, horrified.

But before anyone could say anything, a very loud roar ripped through the crowd, bringing it to such a silence that one could hear a pin drop. Everyone turned to stare as a very large Beast made his way through the crowd, and said Beast did _not_ look _at all_ amused.

"Beast!" Belle cried out. "Well everybody, is this proof satisfactory enough for you?"

The Beast walked right up to the wagon, having no trouble since frightened villagers scrambled to give him a very wide berth. He grabbed the wagon door, still open to receive Belle, and with his incredible strength ripped it off its hinges without much trouble and chucked it aside like it was nothing. He then grabbed Gaston by the shoulders, causing the latter to lose his grip on Belle's wrist. The former positioned Gaston so that the two made direct eye contact.

"You must be Gaston," the Beast said gruffly. "I've heard about you. And if you think I've heard good things about you, allow me to disabuse you of any such notion. Nothing I've heard about you has been good. And nothing I saw of you in my mirror that Belle spoke of was good either."

As this was going on, Belle went into the wagon and over to Maurice.

"Papa, this may be a lot to get your mind around but trust me," she said just above a whisper. "The Beast isn't who he seemed. There's a kindness in him that was so long buried he forgot it was within him. He let me go when we realized you were in this fix. He's here to help us Papa."

"Help us?" Maurice asked skeptically.

"Yes," Belle said. "We need to go with him back to the castle. I know you may think I've taken leave of all reason but we're safer there. So much for small meaning safe. We've got to get out of Villeneuve, and you'll like Beast once you get to know him. Trust me."

Outside the wagon, the Beast continued speaking with Gaston.

"I was cursed with this grotesque body you see for my past selfishness and callousness, traits of which I see you are in no short supply," the Beast said. "I learned my lesson. You're fortunate to have your human form. So a word to the wise, _not_ that you qualify but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Learn a few things about kindness and humility. Learn it quick, because you never know if or when someone will test your character with the power to teach you a lesson in _very_ creative ways. If you have to learn it like I have then by the time you've learned what you're meant to, you'll find out you _also_ get to learn a lesson on this pesky thing called _regret_ , and that's the _most_ painful to have to learn. Believe me you do _not_ want to go down that particular road. So your lesson in kindness and humility starts right now. Call off your troops, send the asylum warden away with an _empty_ wagon, accept that Belle does not wish to marry you, and from what I've seen I don't blame her, and start striving to be a better person. Do I have your word on that?"

"Of course," Gaston said, making sure he sounded sincere. "Thank you for the good advice."

"Now get to it," the Beast said, pushing Gaston away from the wagon.

By this time, Belle and Maurice had stepped out of the wagon. The Beast pulled the portal book out of his cloak.

"Shall we go back?" he asked.

"You take Papa," Belle said. "I'll get back on Philippe. He knows the way to the castle. Gaston was just a bit too quick to agree with you for my comfort. I'm not sure I trust he'll hold his end. I don't want him deciding to hop on Philippe to get to the castle."

"You're not afraid he'll follow you?" the Beast asked. "Bring Philippe over here. If you're holding his reigns while your hand is on the book I would think he should come with us."

Belle went to get Philippe, but was clearly distressed when coming back.

"We have to hurry," she said. "He's coming back with his gun. Papa, we must all put our hands on the page the Beast has opened to.

Belle's hand, with Philippe's reins between the thumb and index finger went on the page. Beast, who would direct their destination, hovered his paw over, waiting for Maurice to place his hand before he would make contact with the page. But Maurice just stood there looking skeptically at the book, or more accurately who held it.

"Papa," Belle said with urgency. "We have to hurry!"

"I don't know," Maurice said.

Sighing, Belle grabbed her father's hand with her free hand and planted it firmly on the page.

As the Beast finally allowed his paw to rest upon the page, a gunshot rang out and the Beast let out a roar.


	3. Souvenir and Probing Questions

**I know I was a little mean and ended the last chapter on an** ** _ever so slight_** **cliffhanger. Well, I don't know how realistic my depiction of DIY bullet removal surgery is, but thankfully he'll be okay. Though it gets a little angsty, but then I decided to end this chapter on a comical, if smelly note.**

Belle's POV

Back in the library, Belle saw that the Beast struggled to keep the book cradled in his right arm. She took it from him and set it down on the table.

"Are you okay?" she asked with concern.

"Well my right shoulder feels like it exploded," the Beast said. "He managed to get a shot off just as I put my paw on the page. It hurts especially when I try to move it but I don't think anything more than the shoulder is involved. Seems like I have acquired a little souvenir...a little parting gift courtesy of Gaston. Apparently he wanted to let me know just how much he appreciated my bit of advice."

"Well I'm glad to see your sense of humor is intact," Belle said. "I knew something was fishy. He was just a little too receptive of your advice."

"Master," Lumiere said, he and Cogsworth still where the Beast left them. "Is that your only injury?"

"Yes, fortunately," the Beast said.

"Cogsworth, would you fetch Mrs. Potts with some hot water?" Belle asked. "And something to reach in and pry the bullet out with if I'm able? And Lumiere, can you shed some light into the wound?"

Cogsworth left the room and Lumiere, with Belle holding him, positioned an arm to shine light into the wound.

"How is this, mademoiselle?" he asked. "I'm trying not to get so close as to burn him."

"That's fine," Belle said looking into the wound. "I think I see the bullet. I'm no doctor but I think it's lodged in the muscle. It'll need to come out."

She set Lumiere down on the table.

"Beast, why don't you sit down over here?" she said gesturing to a chair and helping him into it. "Let me help you get your shirt off. It will be in the way."

Once his shirt was off, the tea cart rolled in with Mrs. Potts, a bowl with a cloth in it, and a pair of kitchen tongs. Mrs. Potts poured steaming water into the bowl.

"Okay we need to do this," Belle said, picking up the tongs, glad they were as ordinary as the hairbrush she'd encountered when first taken to a room in the east wing. She held the tongs to Lumiere's flames to sterilize them. "Beast, I'm sorry, but this is going to hurt and there's no way around it. I'll try to get it out without too much digging around. But the tongs are hot as I just sterilized them on Lumiere's flames. I'll need you to hold as absolutely still as you possibly can and I'll try to get it done as fast as I can while being careful." She placed one hand next to the wound. The other hand was poised with the tongs. "Are you ready?"

Beast's POV

"Go ahead," the Beast said, not at all looking forward to the task at hand. He braced himself.

As prepared as he tried to be, he gasped as the searing hot tongs entered the wound on his shoulder. He gritted his teeth as he felt the inevitable digging. He tried not to flinch, and managed pretty well, but a few involuntary flinches could not be avoided.

"You're doing really well," Belle said. "I think I've got a grip on it. I'm going to try to pull it out, but I may have to wiggle it around to dislodge it."

She did have to wiggle. And pull. And it hurt. A lot. A soft growl was something the Beast found himself unable to fully suppress. But finally he felt the tongs being extracted from the wound.

"Here's your souvenir," Belle said, letting the offending projectile drop from the tongs to the tea cart with an audible thump. "Now to clean the wound. You may remember from the wolf incident this hurts too."

She lifted the cloth from the bowl of hot water and took a moment to wring out excess water. She then applied it to the wound and cleaned it as gently as possible. When finished, she put the cloth down.

"This wound should probably be stitched," she said.

This statement earned her a _most_ unenthusiasic groan from her long-suffering patient.

"Do we have to?" the Beast asked, silently praying she'd say no.

"Perhaps not."

Okay, it wasn't a yes, but wasn't as definitive of a no as he'd hoped for.

"We should," Belle continued. "It'll scar a bit less if it's stitched rather than open. But I can try bandaging it. If bandaging doesn't stop the bleeding sufficiently we will need to. But I think we can bandage it and reassess in the morning."

"That sounds preferable to more painful stuff tonight," the Beast said. "That was an experience I would be happy to go through the rest my life without duplicating."

"I'm sorry about that," Belle said. She turned to her father, and tried with marginal success to keep the frustration out of her voice. "Papa, with all due respect, because you hesitated, we were delayed. And because of that delay Gaston was able to get a shot off. And the Beast got hurt. I told you he wasn't as cruel as we thought, that you'd like him when you got to know him, that I understood this was a lot to wrap your mind around but we needed to get back here and I needed you to trust me. Thankfully nothing vital was hit. But the wound could have been fatal and that would have been terrible."

"I'm sorry," Maurice said. "But it _was_ a lot to wrap my mind around. I am _still_ trying to wrap my mind around it Belle. What you said about him and how I saw him handle Gaston doesn't jive with the creature who locks people in a cell up in the tower for plucking a rose."

"I know Papa," Belle said. "But the time for wrapping your mind around it was not when we were trying to escape a lynch mob! Especially when I advise that the leader of said mob has a gun!"

"Don't blame your father Belle," the Beast said. He turned to Maurice, speaking in a tone filled with sincerity. "Monsieur, I...I'm sorry for calling you a thief and locking you away. I overreacted."

"I suppose I was in the wrong," Maurice admitted. "I bring a rose back for Belle every year from the market when I go to sell my music boxes. It's all she ever asks for. I always buy it from a florist. I never made it to the market this year, and I'm not sure what made me think picking a flower from someone's private grounds was okay to do. I guess that technically would make me a thief."

"I still overreacted," the Beast said.

At this point, his valet turned coat rack came in with bandages. Belle took them.

"Thank you Chapeau," she said before beginning the task of bandaging the Beast's shoulder.

"I'd like to ask something if I may," Maurice said. "Perhaps it will help me get my head around things here. Why are you so different? What made you suddenly decide you overreacted? You seemed so cruel before. Not so much now."

"I was cruel before," the Beast said, his tone laced with regret. "That's why I am a Beast. Cursed to appear on the outside as I was on the inside. My staff, plus Mrs. Potts boy Chip...even Madame and Maestro's dog...all living under my roof cursed to be the objects I treated them as. It took me years to learn what I was supposed to. A lesson I hadn't yet learned when you showed up."

"How did you learn it?" Belle asked, finishing her bandaging job. The assembled staff left to take care of the supplies that had been used.

"Well according to Mrs. Potts I always had kindness within me. She told you how my mother was kind and loving, but after her death my cruel father raised me to be like him. Coldhearted just like he was. I had forgotten that kindness was a thing I was capable of. I long ago stopped caring about others. Long before the curse. Even when my father died I didn't care. Once I became the master of the castle I treated everyone like my father had, caring only about myself. Only allowing those with exquisite outer beauty to grace these halls. One day an old beggar seeking shelter from a storm who turned out to be an enchantress...objected...to my cruelty."

"Yet it took years to learn the lesson she apparently meant for you," Belle said. "Incidentally it seems only after I showed up. Why is that?"

The Beast shifted uncomfortably. The conversation seemed to be heading into dangerous territory. It wasn't exactly like he could tell her she was the key to freedom that the whole castle had been waiting for. Of course Belle's next question, or perhaps better stated series of questions, did not improve his level of comfort with how the conversation was going.

"Am I the key somehow to lifting the curse? Is that why the staff acted the way they did when I first arrived? Putting me in a bedroom when you meant for me to stay in the tower cell? Got you to try to get me to have dinner with you, assuming that wasn't exactly your idea? Violated your direct orders and fed me after I refused your 'invitation', saying if I wouldn't eat with you I wasn't to eat? It seems they went to a lot of trouble for me at great risk of provoking your ire. And they tried desperately to prevent me leaving after you, um, objected to my exploration in the west wing. Does it have to do with the curse that they took such pains over me?"

If Belle had further questions to fire at him in her arsenal, the Beast's groan prevented them coming his way.

"I wish I could answer you," he said. "While you're allowed to know the consequences of the curse, the enchantress forbid us to tell anyone how it can be broken. So as to whether or not you have anything to do with breaking it, that I can neither confirm nor deny. And it really doesn't matter now anyway. I expect the last petal shall fall...probably any minute. There were two petals when I came to rescue you. I doubt two remain now." He thought for a moment. "I suppose after you fled that first night and were set upon by wolves...let me back up. They told me you left. I debated coming after you. On one hand you were my prisoner and I wanted to drag your butt back. On the other it seemed hardly worth it, since yes, the staff were making a fuss over you and kept dragging me into it. Then I looked in the mirror and saw you had the wolves hot on your trail. I don't know what it was but something inside me couldn't let you face that end. Of course at the end of it I was badly wounded and barely conscious. I figured you'd get back on your horse and ride off and the wolves would soon come back to finish me."

"I admit I thought about it," Belle said. "But I couldn't bring myself to just leave you there like that especially after you'd saved my life."

"I think that's what started breaking through the hard barrier that surrounded my heart and kept me the wretched jerk I'd become," the Beast said. "I was confused when you told me to stand, making clear your intent to help me back to the castle. You not only took me back but got me into bed and tended my wounds despite me making it rather difficult. Then you stayed. Not just here at the castle but you spent much time at my bedside making sure I was kept comfortable as I recovered. What got to me most was knowing the only thing making you do it was your kind heart. My servants weren't exactly unkind, but they saw to my needs and demands because they were my servants and I their master. You saw to my needs, despite my cruelty, for no reason other than you were too kind not to. Each time I awoke to see you were still choosing to sit with me I think another bit of the fortress around my heart crumbled. Then a couple days into my recovery, when I was nearly strong enough to get out of bed, you quoted Shakespeare and I learned you loved books as I did. Nearly without thinking I tested my strength, found it sufficiently returned, and showed you the library."

"By that time enough of that barrier you speak of had fallen away," Belle observed.

The Beast nodded.

"Can you tell me about...what you said to Gaston?" Belle asked. "How he's fortunate to have a chance to learn now, because if he had to learn as you have he'd get the added lesson on regret? What do you mean by that?"

"I'm probably okay to say that part of my task was to...learn about caring for others," he said. "That's as close as I can get to explaining it though that's not exactly accurate, though an inevitable result of learning...what I'm to learn and I think the enchantress intended it that way. As you know, when the last petal falls, I remain a beast forever. But it's worse for the others. I get to live as I do now. Not the way I would have wished to spend my life of course but I'll still get to move and communicate. What's in store for the others..."

"They'll become antiques," Belle finished sadly, remembering what she was told as the Beast was recovering from his fight with the wolves. "Totally inanimate, ordinary objects. Essentially dead, no?"

"As bad as this is going to sound, I am forced to hope for that," the Beast said. "In truth, I do not know if they will be dead and thus unaware, or imprisoned in their inanimate forms, conscious of their state yet trapped within it, no longer able to interact with their surroundings. That thought is just too dreadful. And where the regret comes in. I never cared until recently, but now love them like family. Because of how I acted out of selfishness, and now care for them, I must live my life knowing what I'd brought upon them. I've basically sentenced them all to death if not worse. I almost don't care that I shall always be in this state. It's them. It's what befalls them knowing I caused it that will be the heaviest burden to bear."

"You won't bear it alone," Belle said, taking his paw in her hands. "I'm here now. Had I never shown up you'd be left alone. Not now though."

The Beast placed his free paw over one of the delicate hands that held the other paw. They looked into each other's eyes for a long moment. Perhaps he could confess his love now. But given that they'd just discussed the curse, would the intelligent Belle surmise that her love in return was what was needed? If so, would she say she loved him out of pity than truly loving him? And if so that wouldn't lift the curse. But maybe she would truly love him? He would just have to try and hope for the best.

Unfortunately, a very distinct and unpleasant aroma drew their attention to Philippe. The Beast wrinkled his nose. He had forgotten, as had evidently Belle and Maurice, that bringing Philippe back via the enchanted book meant that he would end up where the others using the same portal did. Which in this case meant the castle library. And now, Philippe had just done something horses are quite adept at. Making manure.

"Eh..." Maurice said a bit sheepishly. "I've learned the penalty for picking a rose out of the garden. I'm not sure I want to ask, but what is the penalty for one's horse relieving itself inside the castle?"

"I would say clean up duty," Belle said somewhat humorously, trying to inject a bit of lightheartedness into the situation. She took Philippe's reins. "I'll just take him out to the stable and...get a shovel."

Beast watched Belle lead Philippe out, then turned to Maurice, deciding to employ his own dry sense of humor.

"I must say lots of unusual things have happened in this castle in recent years," he said. "But a horse in the library isn't exactly a sight I thought I'd see. And his little...gift...is certainly a scent the castle would have been just fine without."


	4. Sheer Devastation

**From here on out, assume omniscient POV unless otherwise stated.**

 **Also, thanks for reviewing guys, glad you're liking it so far! Cloelius Princess, interesting you mention all the lines of dialog, as I keep wondering if their speech is a bit wordy in places, particularly with Beast. He does seem like, well, a beast of few words and sometimes I have him talking like it's going out of style. I've been justifying it somewhat by reasoning that he's more open now and has someone to listen to him and he does need some outlet for his feelings now that he's no longer throwing tantrums. But a big part of it is I struggle to get across all I want to with shorter dialog. Funnily enough, his speech about how he could neither confirm nor deny Belle's role in breaking the curse was to end without mention of her helping him after the wolf fight. Then I figured he could realize that was sort of the turning point for him and he could tell her that without violating the sort of gag order he's under. Maybe I'll try a 'less is more' approach with the dialog.**

 **And just to warn everybody, this is a pretty downer chapter. So much a downer, in fact, that I should warn that it contains contemplation of suicide.**

 **Oh, and one more thing. I'm giving strong consideration to a title change for this story. Not 100% sure but something's in mind that might be slightly more fitting. Just want to throw that out there to allay any potential confusion before it happens.**

After Philippe's deposit was cleaned up, and the sentient wheelbarrow that came in with Belle had gone back outside with its load, the Beast turned to Maurice.

"Monsieur," he said. "Why don't we find a room for you to sleep in? One more comfortable than the accommodations you found up in the tower."

"Thank you sir," Maurice said, warming up a bit to the furry creature who did indeed show another side to his character.

But as they entered the castle's main hall, they saw a panicked Cogsworth making his way to Lumiere.

"Lumiere!" the mantel clock said. "It's happening! Maestro Cadenza has just fallen under full effect, followed by his dog Froufrou!"

"I guess it is over mon ami," Lumiere said.

 _Oh no,_ the Beast thought. _It's happening, and now I get to watch it all go down. Guess I deserve it_.

"Chip," Mrs. Potts called out as she rolled in on her cart. "Has anyone seen Chip?"

But before anyone could respond, Mrs. Potts succumbed to the curse, her face disappearing.

"Mama!" Chip called. "Where are you? Something's wrong! Plumette just fell over and looks like a real feather duster now! Mama!"

The Beast, with a heavy heart, rushed to Chip and lifted him into his paw.

"I'll take you to your mother," he said softly.

But the Beast didn't want Chip to see that his mother was now just an ordinary teapot. So he walked slowly, paws cupped to shield Chip from seeing anyone become inanimate. He hadn't wanted to watch the others turn completely, and here he was in the midst of it, and the final transformation of the youngest and most innocent resident was happening right in his very paws.

"Master I feel weird," Chip said. "What's happening to me? Where's my mama?"

"It's okay Chip," the Beast said gently, trying not to let the young boy detect that he was distressed. "We're almost to her. It's all right. It's all right Chip."

The Beast hoped he was being comforting to the child. He wished Mrs. Potts could have lasted until after Chip turned. He knew that while Chip understandably wanted his mother, he would only be traumatized to see her inanimate. So the Beast did the best he could, speaking soothingly to him until they reached the cart and the Beast watched as Chip's face disappeared and he became an ordinary teacup.

"Here's your mother Chip," the Beast said sadly, setting the now inanimate teacup on the cart, making sure he was touching the teapot that used to be his mother. "I'm sorry."

After taking a moment to silently mourn over Mrs. Potts and Chip, the Beast turned to see Belle comforting Chapeau as his final movements came to a halt.

"Lumiere! I...can't...speak..."

The Beast looked over as Cogsworth seemed to be enduring a rather painful end to animate life and Lumiere told him it was all right."

"NOOO!" came an anguished cry from the Beast as he rushed over, dropping to his knees by what he sensed were the last two remaining servants. "Cogsworth! Lumiere! I'm so sorry!"

The Beast touched a paw to the clock who was fighting his best to hold on just a little bit longer.

"Lumiere...my friend," Cogsworth croaked out. "It was an honor serving with you. And Master...I'm sorry...for what I said earlier...no matter what...I'm proud of you..."

And then he grew still, now just an ordinary mantel clock.

"The honor was mine," Lumiere said, starting to weaken, knowing it was now his turn. "And I'm also proud of you Master. Please promise you'll...stay who you've become. That you'll...never let yourself forget the kindness within you again."

"I promise you that Lumiere," the Beast choked out, then watched as Lumiere spun around, completely inanimate when he came to a standstill. His flames died out, signalling that his transformation was complete.

The Beast stood to find Belle at his side, tears falling from her eyes. He blinked as tears threatened to spill onto his own furry face. He would fight to hold them inside. Little did he know Belle saw his struggle as she placed a hand on his arm.

"Don't fight it," she said softly. "Tears mean you truly do care. Holding them in means you think maybe you should deny it. And if you don't let them go they'll just eat at your heart."

So he did allow some tears to dampen his fur, but remained silent, the shudder of his body the most obvious sign of his distress. After a few minutes he was able to collect himself enough to speak.

"I'd hoped I wouldn't see it happen," he said. "But I suppose it's just as well. I suppose I owed it to them to bear witness. The hardest was Chip."

"I'm sure you were a comfort to him," Belle assured. "You did right sparing him having to see his mother as she was as he was turning."

"He wanted to see her," the Beast said. "But I knew seeing her as she was would not provide the comfort he sought. I just hope I came close." He shook his head sadly. "Let's get your father into a room."

After Maurice was in a room, the Beast and Belle went to the kitchen, confirming that all kitchen staff were now under full effect of the dreadful curse. The Beast spied a once animate knife on the counter and picked it up, holding it in his paws, turning it over. He thought perhaps he would drive it through to his own heart. Why should he live when the others were denied the same? That is assuming they weren't just trapped within the objects they had become. The Beast pointed the knife at his throat, realizing that driving it through his ribcage might not be as easy as slashing his jugular and letting himself bleed out.

"Put it down Beast," Belle said softly but with a firm edge. "I can tell what you're thinking and I don't like it."

The Beast complied. He let Belle lead him out of the kitchen.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as she led him toward the west staircase. "Physically I mean. Injury-wise."

"Well my shoulder is rather disgruntled," he said. "But that's really my only physical complaint."

"If you start feeling weak or lethargic, you may be losing too much blood," she said. "That will mean we must choose stitching over the bandaging sooner rather than later. But you seemed not so bothered by the thought of blood loss a few minutes ago."

"You're bothered by that," the Beast observed.

"Of course I'm bothered by it," Belle said. "And I'm sure the person that knife once was would have been too."

They were in the west wing now, just outside the Beast's bedroom.

"You'd better get some sleep," Belle said. "I will sit up with you and make sure you're okay."

"No," the Beast said softly. "You need sleep too."

"Perhaps I'll nod off in the chair," Belle said. "But I want to be where I'll wake if you stir. That way I can make sure you get what you need."

"I'm fine," the Beast insisted. "It'll take more than a bullet to the shoulder to do me in."

"I'm not just worried about that," Belle said. "I'll not be able to sleep wondering if you might do what it would take. You're deeply troubled, and after what I saw in the kitchen I don't dare leave you alone."

"Very well," the Beast sighed. "I suppose promising you that I won't do anything rash won't alleviate your concerns sufficiently."

"I'm afraid not," Belle confessed. "I just lost many friends tonight. I couldn't bear it if I lost you too. I never realized this until now Beast, but...I've grown to love you."

"W-what did you say?" the Beast asked, not sure if he dared believe his ears.

"I love you Beast," Belle repeated.

"Well I love you Belle," the Beast said, drawing her into an embrace.

While knowing he had her love should have been a comfort to him, the Beast suddenly felt the devastation grow much more profound. If he had confessed his feelings earlier, perhaps she'd have realized hers. He knew now that there was a good chance they would all be human again. And that the fate of all the others would not be what it now was. While he was glad she loved him, this fact now made his sorrow for the castle's other inhabitants so much deeper.


	5. Perhaps We Can Find A Loophole

**Yep, I've decided on a title change! This story was formerly called "I Wish To Return".**

The next morning, the Beast awoke to find Belle in the chair next to his bed, leaning forward so her head rested on the mattress. Probably not particularly comfortable, he thought. And it wouldn't have had to be that way if she hadn't had to witness his grim contemplation last night. She'd have been comfortable in her own bed. He found himself wishing he hadn't put her through the worry. Even when he was laid up after fighting with the pack of wolves, and she'd spent so much time at his bedside, she would retire to her own room at night. And he was hurt worse then. Being shot in the shoulder was no picnic for sure, but the wolf fight had taken a larger toll. Granted, he'd had servants then so someone was sure to fill in when Belle had stepped away. He knew it was the emotional toll that last night's events had taken upon him that made her sit by him all night. And he felt bad for doing it to her.

But she loved him. He hadn't expected earning her love to cause the internal conflict that it now did. On one hand, it was a comfort knowing he had her love going forward, that the thing he had long since given up hope in had actually happened. His sorrow would be endured with the one he loved, and who loved him, at his side. On the other hand, however, the timing of the revelation had made his sorrow much worse. Had he told her he loved her after they danced...but then he hadn't officially freed her yet. Could she fully love him if not free? Not too likely. What about before she left to rescue her father? She needed to get going. Time was of the essence. When they returned? He was about to, until they were interrupted by Philippe's inopportune answer to the call of nature, for which the horse could not be blamed. He perhaps should have accompanied Belle and Philippe to the stable. In any event, had he just told her he loved her she might have realized she loved him and they'd all be celebrating a return to humanity.

But now it was too late.

A groan escaped the Beast as he moved his shoulder in a way to which it objected. This awakened Belle, who sat up straight.

"What's wrong?" she asked, trying to shake off the grogginess.

"Sorry," the Beast said, feeling bad for waking her. "My shoulder decided to remind me it's still there."

Within about half an hour, Belle, the Beast, and Maurice were sitting in the dark and chilly front parlor.

"Even with my fur I'm a little on the chilly side," the Beast said. "The fire was never allowed to die out in winter, and since the curse winter has been year round. So this fire hasn't gone out in a long time."

"There must be matches around somewhere?" Belle asked.

"I'm afraid I wouldn't know where," the Beast replied. "Matches were surely used before the curse to light everything. Then as a candelabra Lumiere could light himself at will and light everything else with his own flames. At least as a sentient candelabra."

"Perhaps there's some in the servants quarters," Belle said. "I'll have a look. I also need to find more bandages to change your dressing and maybe something to stitch you with."

She exited, and returned a while later with matches in one hand and the candelabra that was once Lumiere in the other.

"Papa, would you get a fire going?" Belle asked. "Seems there's wood piled by it though at some point we'll have to get more outside. I'll get all the other candles lit."

"You're using Lumiere?" the Beast asked uncomfortably.

"I debated it," Belle said. "But I think he would have preferred it. Though it's going to be hard to use everybody like ordinary inanimate objects."

"I don't know that I have the heart for it," the Beast admitted.

Belle got the rest of the castle lit, found what she needed after quite some searching, and tended the Beast's wound. The bleeding had pretty much stopped, but she convinced him to let her stitch it to help minimize scarring. Then she got everybody some sliced baguette from the kitchen.

"It's not much," she said. "But as much as I felt Lumiere would have wanted what remains of him to be put to use, it wasn't easy carrying him around to light the castle. I just couldn't light Cuisinier and use a bunch of once sentient pots and pans to make a proper breakfast. Silly, I know."

"Not silly," the Beast said. "They were once people. And I fully appreciate them now that they're gone. I treated them no better than objects, and now that's what they are."

"Can you tell me now how the curse could have been broken?" Belle asked. "Since the window has closed on that possibility?"

"Technically I could," the Beast said. "But I hesitate to burden you with it."

"I want to know."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Belle said. "Tell me, please."

"Very well," the Beast said with reluctance. "There were two requirements that needed to be met by the time the last petal fell for the curse to be lifted. First, I had to learn to love another. Second, I had to earn that person's love in return."

"And I only realized and told you that I loved you after the curse had taken full effect," Belle said.

"That's right," the Beast said. "I meant to tell you I loved you after we danced, but I realized you missed your father and when we saw his predicament I had to let you go. I freed you not expecting you to return until you made clear that intent."

"You freed me because you loved me," Belle said. "I wish I'd realized that then, realized I loved you. I wish I'd known that's how to break the curse. But I suppose you weren't allowed to tell me lest I try to force myself to love you out of pity."

"Exactly," the Beast said.

"But I think...no I now realize...I loved you before," Belle said. "When you told me to go, the thought of leaving wasn't a pleasant one. I didn't want to leave you. I wasn't sure why since it wasn't long since I asked if one could be happy in captivity. Sure the thought of Papa and I staying in Villeneuve didn't sit well what with the fix he was in. But I realize now it was because I loved you that I wanted to return. Why then is the curse not lifted?"

"I'm pretty sure you'd have had to realize it," the Beast said. "I was going to tell you I loved you back in the library, maybe you'd have realized it then, but Philippe sort of killed the atmosphere with his aromatic deposit. I guess it just wasn't meant to happen in time."

"That's...I wish it happened in time," Belle said. "For the others. I don't care what you look like. Not that I care what they look like either, but I wish they could be...them."

"Me too," the Beast said sadly.

"What do we do with everybody?" Belle asked. "It somehow doesn't seem right to treat them like...ordinary stuff."

"I know," the Beast sighed. "Part of me wants to put them out of sight. Maybe a proper burial. But that hardly seems right either."

After a moment of thinking, an idea came to Belle.

"We leave them as they are for the time being," she said. "Beast, Papa, please come with me to the library. There must be at least one book in that whole collection regarding magic. Perhaps something can be done after all. Perhaps we can find a loophole."


	6. A Visitor

**Thanks for reviewing folks. GodlyJewel, perhaps this little chapter answers your question...but I do not promise that it won't raise another. Hehehe**

"Have either of you found anything?" Belle asked, after a couple hours of the trio pouring over books in the library.

"Nothing here so far," Maurice said.

"Pretty much the story here," Belle said. "Beast?"

"Well I am looking at something interesting," the Beast said. "Though perhaps not particularly helpful."

"What is it?" Belle asked, moving closer to the Beast.

"Seems the Fair Folk are a fickle group," the Beast said. "Most seem morally neutral and without much thought to the consequences of their actions on mere mortals. Many are malevolant, knowing what harm they do yet delighting in the entertainment they get from the suffering they inflict. Then there are the few benevolent ones, trying to make the mortal world a better place, trying to better the people in it. But it says here often these benevolent ones inadvertantly end up making things worse for those they aim to help."

"Sounds like the case with our enchantress," Belle observed. "She seemed to have the intent to better you as a person, and that was successful. But she made things so harsh that it would be worse if the deadline wasn't met."

"Right," the Beast said.

"Anything that can be done when that happens?" Maurice asked.

"Well from what I'm reading it's not particularly hopeful," the Beast answered. "Seems there's this committee or council that oversees things, that all, good, neutral, or bad must answer to. There's one from the good side and one from the bad on this committee, but the majority are morally neutral. They seem to hold those casting spells in the mortal world to whatever conditions they set. So, if, say, an enchantress doesn't like how something turned out, she likely isn't going to be allowed to change it."

"So there's no loophole mentioned?" Belle asked.

"Not really," the Beast said. "In one section it said on very rare occasion is one allowed to change something or lift a curse outside the conditions set. Nothing I've seen indicates under what circumstances these rare allowances have occurred."

"Hmm," said Belle. "May I look through this book? Make sure there isn't something you're missing?"

"Go ahead," the Beast said, sliding the book her way. "I think I'm going to go for a walk around and think about things. Sort out in my mind what I've learned from this book so far."

"Will you be all right?" Belle asked. "Perhaps I'd better go with you."

"No no," the Beast said. "I'm quite all right. I just...need to clear my head is all. I...guess you're still concerned after last night?"

"I am," Belle said. "I should go through this book, though. Perhaps Papa and I can go over it together. But I do worry about you. Promise me the very second you start thinking about doing anything rash is the very second you hightail yourself back here?"

"I can promise that," the Beast said. "I expect I'll be back here soon anyway."

As the Beast walked through the castle, he heard a loud knock on the front door. He groaned. A visitor wasn't exactly in his plans, especially since it looked like he'd have to answer the door. He looked out a window and groaned again. Standing outside was a very familiar old beggar woman. He made his way to the door and opened it.

"Good afternoon," he said, gesturing her to enter. "I...suppose I'm supposed to tell you I'm pleased to see you?"

"Well it would certainly be an improvement over you laughing in my face and telling me there's room only for beauty in the castle. Which reminds me, I get that you might not be quite so concerned with beauty, but a load of horse poo doesn't strike me as quite the aesthetic you'd be going for so close to the castle."

"Huh?" the Beast asked. He opened the door again to look out and saw the wheelbarrow that had wheeled itself out of its own accord just before the curse took full effect. He closed the door, groaning. "Pierre. Poor Pierre. Didn't even make it back to the stable."

"So I take it you found out that horses taken through the book end up exactly where you do," the old woman said. "I wondered if you'd realize he was with you when I watched you leave Villeneuve."

"We realized soon enough," the Beast said. "That was quite the olfactory experience. You saw us there?"

"I did," she said. "But before I say anything about that, where are Belle and Maurice? They should finally get to know who I am."


	7. Belle Confronts Agathe

**Okay here we are! I tried not to go too long on speeches, but I must warn there are one or two sizable dialog walls. Particularly when Belle gets on a roll unleashing her frustration a bit on Agathe.**

 **GodlyJewel I LOVE your rogue hunter idea! Me thinks I MUST work this in! I hadn't planned on any further Gaston scenes since he couldn't follow them back to the castle. But now that he knows the Beast does exist, and given his hunting prowess and war history he's got to have some survival skills that would serve him for a time in the enchanted woods while searching, and given that chewing out he received...well, from the animated version, we know that public humiliation isn't something he's particularly inclined to take lying down, don't we?**

Belle and Maurice were looking over the book the Beast had left them with. Maurice was looking for some clue, for some reason, on the front cover when the door opened.

"We have a visitor," the Beast said. "Someone that apparently you both know?"

Belle and Maurice looked up.

"Agathe?" they both said in unison.

"Agathe how did you get so far out into the woods?" Belle asked.

"I can get around," the old woman said, walking to the table. She looked at the book. "Hmm. The Complete Idiot's Guide To Understanding The Ways of the Fair Folk. Interesting choice of reading material you've got there."

"We're trying to help the Beast," Belle explained. "Some enchantress cursed him and all who lived with him, and if he couldn't lift the curse in time he would remain a Beast and his servants would become completely inanimate objects. The time has passed, and the staff, along with a child and even a dog, are now just ordinary things."

"And I'm guessing you hope to find a loophole?" Agathe asked.

"That's right," Belle said.

"About this curse," Agathe said. "Did he need to learn to love and earn love in return before the last petal fell from an enchanted rose, lest he always remain a beast and those with him become antiques?"

"Yes, that's it," Belle said. "But how do you know?"

"Look at me," Agathe said. "I'm as you know from Villeneuve. Now watch."

Belle and Maurice watched in astonishment as Agathe's ragged attire shifted into a beautiful shimmering gown, and her old woman look became that of someone beautiful.

"It was you?" Belle asked.

"It was," Agathe said, returning to the form Belle and her father were familiar with. "I spent much time in your village looking for the one who could learn to love a Beast. There weren't many good options. Actually Belle, you were the only candidate that could possibly help him. And what an excellent candidate you were. So I arranged a little detour for your father as he went to the market. Maurice, I hope you'll forgive that but of inconvenience."

"Well this is good," Belle said. "It's you then. So you can break the curse? He did fall in love with me and I him while the rose still had petals. But he...at least I...didnt realize I loved him until after. But I know I finally loved him the moment he set me free. So you can lift the curse right?"

"It's not that simple," Agathe said. "Have you seen the part of the book about the committee that I must abide by?"

"Yes, Beast pointed it out," Belle said. "I get that it's rare a curse can be lifted without the conditions being met. But here they were met. I just didn't realize I loved him until after."

"And therein lies the problem," Agathe said. "If you didn't realize you loved him, and didn't give voice to the realization, there's no being sure you did love him."

"But I did love him!" Belle cried. "I didn't know that's why I was reluctant to leave him even knowing I had to help Papa, but I realized it later."

"I wish hindsight was enough," Agathe said sympathetically. "But I can count on one hand the times a curse was allowed to be lifted without the requirements being met and hindsight was not the reason. I can also say that I do not have enough fingers and toes to count how many times hindsight has been put to the committee as a plea and denied."

"Will you not even try?" Belle asked, becoming frustrated. "You put a curse on this castle that was for all intents and purposes a death sentence upon those with no power to lift it? Including a child and a dog? That's worse than the Beast's fate, for he gets to live, and he was the one being punished and the one with the responsibility of meeting the conditions!"

"Belle," the Beast said, seeing that the young woman was getting quite wound up. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to get Agathe to see how utterly unfair this is!" Belle said. "Agathe honestly I don't even care what the Beast looks like. I love him for who he is. I don't care if he remains a Beast forever. Of course if being a human would make him happier that's what I'd want for him though I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't miss the fur. But he's at least alive. He can interact with those around him. The others don't have that. We watched as they fell under the spell's full effect. Beast found himself holding Chip, a scared child, in his paws trying to comfort him as he became an ordinary teacup, knowing that the boy would only be traumatized in his final moments seeing his mother already turned. Then he watched Lumiere and Cogsworth turn. The whole experience broke his heart. My heart aches too as they're all my friends but I watched as the grief the Beast felt at what he witnessed drove him to contemplate taking his own life! He knows they don't deserve their fate and can hardly bear it. I find it hard to accept that my friends are just things! You make a curse so harsh that it practically kills the majority under it and you won't even try to get them to let you lift it? We thought you were one of the benevolent ones but how benevolent can you be when you won't do something to correct the problem?"

"Belle, stop," the Beast said, putting a paw on her shoulder. "Are you even hearing yourself right now? Are you remembering she's an enchantress here? Look at me Belle! This is the kind of thing she can do, among worse as you know. She is not the person you want to tick off!"

"Don't worry," Agathe said. "It takes more than that to tick me off. I quite understand that the situation is upsetting. Actually Belle, one of the things I admire about you is your fortitude to stand up for what you believe is right."

"Okay," Belle said, forcing herself to calm down. "So you know where I stand as to the rightness of this situation. What are you prepared to do? Please tell me you can do something."

"I will put our case before the committee," Agathe said. "I do regret how things turned out. I will mention your hindsight, but don't get your hopes up there. Like I say I've yet to see that sway the committee. I will also point out how unfortunate it is that the other castle inhabitants are now just inanimate objects because of the unfortunate timing. I don't expect that will hold much water either."

"Anything you do think might work?" the Beast asked.

"Nothing on its own merit," Agathe said. "But I'll also mention the evidence that you have changed, have become a better person, which was my entire goal for you. Most notably how you released Belle, knowing that you sealed not just your fate but that of those in your employ, as well as how you put yourself in harm's way when you saw Belle wasn't having much luck. By the way, I quite enjoyed that dressing-down you gave Gaston. I'm considering making him my next project. He might wish he hadn't repaid your advice with a bullet. But I'll tell how you've changed. Since most on the committee are morally neutral I don't expect that to add much weight. What I am hoping is that everything together laid out makes a compelling case."

"Thank you Agathe," Belle said. "And I'm sorry I snapped at you."

"Understandable," Agathe said. "I want to warn you all not to get too excited. I may not be able to change anything, or I may only be able to soften the curse so that life is restored to the objects. I must also warn that if they do allow me to make changes, especially a complete lifting of the curse, it will likely come at a price. One that may not be pleasant."

"Anything," the Beast said. "Whatever is required."

"I'll just pretend you haven't said that until after you've heard what is required," Agathe said. "We Fair Folk can be a fickle bunch. And we're not all well-intentioned. Once the case goes to committee, what price may be imposed, I'll have little to no say in. Most are neutral, morally speaking, so they don't particularly care about the consequences. While one is benevolent like myself, another is on the side of evil and would advocate for something quite sinister, perhaps worse than how things are now. Many on the committee are also mischievous. So hold off on agreeing to 'anything' until you know exactly what that 'anything' is."

"When will we know anything?" Belle asked.

"I'll put in a request for an emergency meeting as soon as I leave here," Agathe said. "When an emergency meeting is requested, usually the committee will meet the night of the request. We should meet tonight. That does not mean a decision will be rendered tonight. Usually another meeting is held the evening after that. Generally a decision is rendered then. So I'll come back to you the morning after tomorrow. Does that sound like a plan?"

"It does," the Beast said. "Thank you."

"Would you mention to the committee how he consoled Chip?" Belle asked. "He hoped not to see anyone turn, and not only did he bear witness to several turning but he took extra pains to provide comfort to the one whose fate was likely the most hard hitting since he was an innocent child."

"I will mention that," Agathe said. "That again may not mean much. The neutrals among us can really be a royal pain in the butt! But I'll mention it. And Beast, for what it's worth, I am quite proud of how far you've come."

"Question," Maurice interjected. "Need we worry about Gaston finding the castle? When we didn't find the castle which led to you finding me tied to a tree in the woods, he disbelieved that the castle and Beast even existed. Obviously he now knows the truth, and after the lecture he received from the Beast in front of the whole village I imagine he's nursing a pretty sore ego. He's a skilled hunter and a war captain. He could lead a mob to search for us."

"I have the woods pretty hard to navigate," Agathe said. "I'll make it harder. Also scarier, so that most villagers will be too frightened to go far through the woods. Depending on how determined he is, I can't guarantee he won't find the castle. But I'll make sure you won't have a whole mob on your hands."

"That would be good," Maurice said. "I can't speak for Belle or Beast, but I for one have had quite enough mob action of late."

Agathe thought for a moment. Then she held out her hand and blew on it, causing a small bottle of blue liquid to appear. She handed this vial to Belle.

"Keep this on your person at all times," she instructed. "Hopefully you'll not have need of it. But I know Gaston can be very determined, and he is very skilled at the hunt. Should he show up, and should the Beast, or really any of you, come to harm, administer two drops of this liquid on the tongue. The graver the injury, the more doses may be needed. This can be given up to a few minutes after death to heal the injured. If dead, give a dose every two minutes until signs of life return, which should happen after five doses tops. Then, administer a dose every ten minutes until the injured party is able to sit up. Then every twenty until full health is restored. This process, depending on severity of the injury, can take anywhere from twenty minutes to two hours to fully restore health. If you start the process before death can occur, which of course is ideal, you won't have to start with two minute dosing. Likewise, if the injured party is able to sit, you'll be able to skip the ten minute dosing. If standing but with an injury, you can decide whether to use this or treat the injury like you did the shoulder wound. This is mainly to get someone with a serious injury to full health quickly."

"Thank you," Belle said.

"If death occurs before you start dosing, you must hustle. The ability to revive the dead lasts a short time. Like I said, signs of life should appear after no more than five doses. If that doesn't restore life, keep going another five doses, but if no signs of life occur after ten total doses I am afraid it is too late."

"All right," Belle said. "Thank you."

"I should go," Agathe said. "I saw in my mirror, yes I have one too, that the only thing you've had today was part of a baguette since you're reluctant to use the stove that was once a friend. I understand this but you all do need to eat more than bread. I will make sure the dining room table has food appear on it at meal times. On dinnerware that was never alive."

"Thank you," the Beast said. "That would be...helpful."

"I will see myself out," Agathe said. Then she became a ball of white light and disappeared.

"Well," Maurice said. "I never would have guessed who Agathe really is."

"Me neither," Belle said.

"I'd have never guessed she was in your village this whole time," the Beast said. "I didn't think she'd stick around to help. Didn't really think she gave a rip whether or not I found love."


	8. Gaston's Support Dwindles

"Is there more firewood outside?" Maurice asked a bit later when the trio had gone back into the parlor. "Wood pile in here is getting rather low."

"There should be several cords of wood outside," Beast said. "I think they recently chopped a bunch, so there should be plenty for a while."

"We can bring a load in using...the wheelbarrow that used to be Pierre I suppose," Belle said.

"Oh," Beast groaned, sorrow making itself evident in his features. "I forgot about poor Pierre. Belle, he never made it far from the castle last night. He is still near. I found this out when I let Agathe in. He never made it back to the stable to dump his load in the manure pile. His final moments before turning completely were spent hauling poop."

So their first order of business was to get the wheelbarrow that was once Pierre over to the manure pile and relieve its burden. The Beast tried to shovel it out, but his injured shoulder wasn't going along with that plan. Maurice kindly took over.

"I'm glad the shovel is one of those that's always been inanimate," the Beast said. "I feel horrible that Pierre was hauling manure when the spell took full effect."

"It is unfortunate," Belle said.

"I don't know why we're bothering," the Beast said. "Getting the enchantress to plead our case. The odds of the curse being lifted are against us. She seemed unsure she'd be able to even restore them to life. Why do we hope?"

"Because while the odds might be poor they'd be zero if we didn't," Belle pointed out. "Having her go before the committee means there's some possibility."

"I suppose," the Beast said. "Then again taking the chance will make it worse if it doesn't work out."

"Well it sure would be a shame to not take a chance when they'd have agreed," Maurice said. "Okay, manure's out. Let's load up with firewood."

"Not in Pierre," the Beast said. "We should just carry wood. After he had to spend his last moments with a manure load how can we use what remains?"

"I know this is hard," Belle said. "But how can we not? You might ordinarily be able to carry a large load but now your shoulder forbids it. Papa and I have human strength so we can't necessarily carry as much in our arms as you might when not injured. We'd have to make several trips and would get winded before getting much in."

"It just feels so wrong," the Beast said. "Even without the manure issue...these used to be people. People I never bothered to appreciate until recently. I'd treated them so poorly. It just seems so wrong to use them like ordinary stuff. Like they never were people."

"I know," Belle said gently. "But most of what we need used to be people. We have few things that never were alive. Hopefully it's all temporary and the curse will be lifted soon, or at least life will be restored to the staff."

"But it's also possible nothing will change and they'll always be inanimate," the Beast said. "Then what?"

"Then we'll cross that bridge," Belle said.

With great reluctance, the Beast assented to using what remained of Pierre to haul firewood. After he was wheeled back outside, the trio had dinner, which had in fact appeared as Agathe had said, and then converged by the fire.

"I know this isn't what you want to hear Beast," Belle said. "But I mean to stay in the chair by your bed again tonight. Your meloncholy, while understandable, concerns me."

"No, Belle," the Beast said. "You couldn't have been comfortable last night. I woke to find you slumped forward with your head on the mattress. I'm sorry I've distressed you so much. I promise I'll not do myself harm."

"If that was my only concern that would be one thing," Belle said. "I might consider retiring to my own room. But it's that, plus Papa's mention of the possibility of Gaston finding us. That's a very real possibility knowing Gaston. And after that chew out session you gave him last night...well, public humiliation does not go over well with him. He clearly did not come out on top and he won't rest until he does. That unnerves me."

"I want you to get a comfortable sleep Belle," the Beast said. "I'll be fine."

"I could get a comfortable sleep in my own bed and find you slain in the morning, far beyond the aid of Agathe's elixir," Belle said. "If that happened I couldn't bear it."

"Then I'll take the chair," the Beast said. "If you insist on staying close, you take the comfort of the bed."

"No," Belle said. "Your shoulder is still healing. You need the best sleep your body can get so it can mend."

The Beast sighed. He looked to Maurice. Perhaps he could talk some sense into his daughter. If he was hoping Maurice to be of help though, he was immediately disappointed.

"She is very headstrong," the old man said. "When she gets the notion to make sure those she cares about are out of harm's way, even to her own detriment, it's hard to talk her out of that. You may recall how I pleaded with her not to take my place here, yet once you opened the door and let her in to say goodbye, she pushed me out and closed the cell upon herself."

"I do recall that," the Beast said, regret lacing his voice. "I'm sorry I ever put either of you in such a position." He sighed. "I'm sorry I have you in the position again Belle, of feeling you must sacrifice your own comfort on my account."

"We should see just what Gaston is up to," Belle said. "Perhaps...perhaps it's not as dire as feared. Maybe after some time he's finally gotten some sense in him and realized your wisdom. I can't say as I really believe that but maybe. Is the mirror still in your room Beast?"

"I carried it to the library last night when I came to rescue you," the Beast said. "It should be on the table by the portal book."

"I'll be back," Belle said, then ran off for the library.

Maurice looked at the Beast once the two were alone.

"You really do love her, don't you?" he observed.

"I do," the Beast said. "I suppose that fact would repulse you. Me, an animal, in love with your daughter."

"You're not the animal I'm repulsed by," Maurice said. "You've done some pretty repulsive things but you've learned from them and changed your ways. You're much more of a gentleman, and Gaston much more a beast, than either of your appearances would suggest."

"But I've become an animal, a beast," the Beast said. "Turned into one to match who I was on the inside. I may be a gentleman inside, but now I am more than likely always to be a Beast. A creature. An animal. If we'd made it in time to break the spell there'd be no issue. But since it's too late, and unlikely an exception will be made, it looks like the one who loves her, and has earned her undeserved love, shall always be an animal."

Maurice sensed what the Beast was thinking. He was a different species than Belle and, under any other circumstance, an interspecies romance would be repulsive. But, under any other circumstance, the animal in question is a natural animal, not a human under a curse. But still, as long as the Beast was a beast, there were lines both knew could not be breached.

"That does present a logistical conundrum, doesn't it?" Maurice said.

Before either could speak more, Belle re-entered the room with the enchanted mirror. They all gathered around.

"We'd like to see Gaston please," Belle said.

And they all found themselves watching the scene play before them.

 _"Are you coming LeFou, or not?" Gaston asked, frustrated. He sat on his chair in the tavern._

 _"Or not," LeFou said._

 _"And why not?" Gaston asked. "We know the Beast exists, we've seen him. It's just a matter of finding the part of the forest where it's always winter and downed trees right themselves. Then the castle's around there somewhere."_

 _"And then what?" LeFou asked._

 _"Then it's hero time!" Gaston said. "I only got his shoulder before they disappeared. He's alive. I must go slay the monster and rescue my bride! Not to mention avenge my bruised ego! How dare he lecture me like that in front of the whole village? Publicly humiliated!"_

 _"Gaston I've been seeing that ego of yours make you do some really disturbing things of late," LeFou said. "Honestly it was time someone knocked you down a peg or two. And hero time? What will you be the hero of, besides your own fantasy? Not the hero of Villeneuve, the Beast proved himself no threat."_

 _"Yeah," Tom said. "He roared and made short work of the wagon door, but he only laid his paws on your shoulders."_

 _"He could have hurt you with those claws or fangs," Dick added._

 _"Or killed you even," Stanley put in his two cents._

 _"Yet his only weapon was his words," Jean said. "He clearly had no intent to cause harm. We don't need you protecting us from him. His roar's worse than his bite."_

 _"My friends," Gaston said, standing. "How can you say he's no threat? You all saw him! He's a Beast! A BEAST!"_

 _"Oh there's a Beast on the loose all right," LeFou said. "But it's not the furry guy who could have easily killed you and many of us, yet just gave you a bit of advice and released you unharmed."_

 _"What are you insinuating LeFou?" Gaston asked, moving menacingly close to his companion._

 _"That you're wrong this time," LeFou said, fighting through the intimidation he felt. "And no more will I let you bully me into going along with your twisted schemes. This isn't right and I'll no longer be part of it."_

 _"LeFou's not alone here Gaston," Stanley said. "You don't have many backing you this time."_

 _"You have many telling you you're wrong here," another villager said._

 _"Maybe you should consider that you've lost the majority," Jean said. "And that that should tell you something. If ten people tell you you're drunk, you should probably sit down."_

 _"You've all lost faith in me?" Gaston asked. He had to reclaim his fanbase. Losing the support of most of his fellow villagers would never do! "Come on guys, I was just off my A-game for a moment last night! I'll kill that monster and come back here with my new bride on my arm! You'll see! Now, who's with me?"_

 _Only four men in the entire tavern agreed to follow, and their enthusiasm was rather underwhelming._

 _"Just four of you?" Gaston asked incredulously. Then as he spoke, his voice became increasingly louder until he was booming. "Well fine! Most of you have just had your faith in me knocked back a bit. I'll come out the winner! I'll show you! You'll never doubt me again! As for those who will come with me, get ready boys! We meet at the edge of the village in one hour!"_

The wild-eyed face of the determined hunter on the war path faded as Belle put down the mirror.

"Well he isn't wasting any time," Maurice said. "But if they leave in an hour they'll have about another hour of daylight. Unless they plan to ride through the night, since it'll take some time finding the castle, they'll have to make camp soon after setting out."

"Gaston is unlikely to stop too soon," Belle said. "Did you see that wild look in his eyes? That settles it. Beast, I'm afraid you can't be left alone tonight."

"Belle..." the Beast began to protest.

"Actually I think Belle has a point," Maurice said. "I propose we all bunk down in one room tonight. We can maybe figure out beds for all of us. But I think safety in numbers is the best approach here."

"I suppose that's true," the Beast conceded. "Very well. Let's figure out beds that can be brought in one place. We should keep the mirror with us and check periodically."

So it was decided that the mattresses and bedclothes from Belle and Maurice's beds would be moved to the Beast's room in the west wing. It was also agreed that anyone who should awaken in the night would check the mirror and wake the others if there was anything of note. At around two in the morning, Maurice awoke and checked the mirror. Gaston, who it seems had been abandoned by his four comrades, had made camp and was asleep. Maurice then asked to see where Gaston was in relation to the cursed part of the forest. He was not far, and Maurice knew when he set back out in the morning it would not take long before he was surrounded by winter. He put the mirror down and went back to bed, deciding that this information did not require waking the others.

 **Okay! So our friends are about to get some excitement headed their way. I should warn that if my brain keeps going where it seems headed, there may be a rather sinister twist. Should that happen I'll put a warning at the top of the chapter. But yeah, Gaston may be about to really get nasty.**


	9. Let's Get Dangerous!

**All righty then! Here is my WARNING about the dark turn we're taking here. Somehow they let their 'safety in numbers' plan lapse at the wrong moment and Gaston finds Belle first. Nothing is graphic, and it probably won't be obvious until next chapter when Belle yells Maurice and Beast, but Gaston does decide to rape Belle since he has her alone. But I'm trying to keep this as T rated as possible so like I say it's not obvious here. Basically we cut back to Maurice and Beast once things with Belle and Gaston start getting real. You know Gaston's got something bad in mind and Belle's in trouble but we switch scenes then. But I do want to warn everybody that this is what happens and it will be made known next chapter. **

**And, of course, the chapter ends with Beast in severe need of Agathe's healing potion.**

 **Glad everybody's enjoying the story.**

 **GodlyJewel, I meant to comment last chapter on your surprise about Agathe's warning but think I neglected to do so. Perhaps I'm giving Agathe a bit too much credit in assuming she might be concerned about fairness. Then again, in the movie, she takes it upon herself to lift the curse, apparently without asking anything in return, despite the last petal being well settled on the table when Belle confesses her love. So even though the curse _was_ pretty disproportionate, going so far as to curse a child and a dog, it _would_ seem like she has _some_ understanding of and desire for fairness, even if it's rare among her kind and even though she _does_ at times miss the mark. **

**Civilwarrose, yeah that comment makes you really feel for Beast doesn't it? He's well aware that in his state, the relationship between him and Belle is something most would be repulsed by, perhaps he himself is repulsed by, knowing he'll probably always be in this state never returning to human form to make the relationship appropriate. Poor guy.**

 **Cloelius Princess, don't worry, I've worked it so Agathe can have Gaston handed to her. I actually liked your idea of having her come in while things were going down, but couldn't quite figure out how to make that work with where I was going.**

The next morning, the trio looked in the mirror and found that Gaston was within the enchanted part of the forest.

"Well, he's alone," Maurice said. "Looked that way about two a.m. when I looked. Seems like the four others turned back."

"They never seemed too enthusiastic," Belle said. "He's really lost the support of the village. Even LeFou wouldn't join him. That can't be sitting well with him at all. He'll surely be more determined to come out on top to gain the adoration of the others once more."

"He's alone," the Beast said. "We've got him outnumbered."

"But he's armed," Maurice said. "He can't be underestimated."

"At least we have the mirror," Belle said. "We can see his progress. Looks like he's having to fend off some wolves."

"That should take up a bit of his ammo," Maurice said.

About an hour later they checked again. Gaston was alarmingly close.

"Well he'll be here soon," Maurice said. "Probably not long after lunch."

"We really need to come up with a plan," Belle said. "We keep checking his progress but what good is it if we're ill-prepared?"

"I'm thinking we'll put him in the dungeon," the Beast said grimly. "That may not sit well with either of you given you've both been locked away there but I can't see an alternative. Get him disarmed and locked up where he can't pose a threat. The enchantress said she might want to make a project out of him. We can hold him there in the tower until she returns and maybe she'll teach him a lesson."

"Actually that seems appropriate for Gaston," Maurice said. "He's the kind of person prisons are made for."

"How do we disarm him?" Belle asked.

"I'm not sure," the Beast said. "It'll require taking him by surprise. I don't think it will work to simply say, 'hey Gaston we're locking you up in the tower and weapons aren't allowed there so we'll have to ask you to check your gun and crossbow at the door.'"

"I really appreciate your sense of humor," Belle said. "But you're right, I don't think that will work."

"What if we hide somewhere deep in the castle?" Maurice suggested. "Then when he finds the room we're in, Beast jumps him and holds him and then Belle and I move in and relieve him of his weapons."

Nobody could think of a better plan. So it was decided they would gather in a storage room near the tower. They would meet there after lunch, as they didn't expect Gaston, even with his hunting prowess, to make it through the enchanted part of the forest any sooner. They did go there just before lunch though, to make sure there was room for them to hide. While Beast and Maurice were finishing preparing spots, Belle went to fetch the candelabra that was once Lumiere. When time, she would light it to help draw Gaston into their ambush.

Unfortunately, Gaston had managed to reach the castle sooner than expected. He was just entering the front door when Belle was entering the parlor to fetch the candelabra. She turned when she heard the door open and gasped at who she saw.

"Hello Belle," he said. "How's your Beast friend? I think I hit him with an errant round as you were leaving the other night. Is he all right?"

"Cut the crap and mock concern Gaston," Belle said. "Errant round? The only thing errant about it perhaps is that it hit his shoulder while you'd have liked it to hit something vital. You've come to finish the job!"

"You're right," Gaston said, moving closer to her. "I'll finish the job and you'll be my wife and his head will hang on our wall!"

"Never!" Belle shouted angrily and jumped into Gaston, knocking him off balance a bit and quickly grabbing his quiver. She snapped each and every one of Gaston's arrows in half. Now Gaston was at least partially disarmed.

"Now look Belle you ruined my arrows," Gaston said. "Pity. And I've had to use up most of my bullets in some hungry wolves. No matter though. I still have two bullets left." He grabbed Belle and held her arms close to her body. "I'm going to have to make sure you're not able to cause me anymore trouble aren't I? This might also be a good time to claim what is mine."

Belle struggled but could not break free as he dragged her down a corridor. She tried to scream for help, but Gaston put his hand over her mouth. Besides, the Beast and Maurice were too far away to hear her.

Meanwhile, the Beast and Maurice had finished arranging things for optimal hiding. And they waited for Belle to return from her errand. And waited. And waited a bit more.

"Something may not be right," Maurice said. "She should be back by now. I hope he didn't get here sooner than we thought. Do you have the mirror?"

"I think it's back in my room," the Beast said.

"That's not too far," Maurice said. "Will you be all right in your hiding spot while I go retrieve it?"

"Yes," the Beast said. "Hopefully a look in the mirror will allay our fears."

So Maurice went for the mirror. Meanwhile, Gaston was walking through the castle, a smug, perverse grin on his face. He was carrying his gun, loaded and ready.

The Beast waited, hoping Maurice and/or Belle would get there first. Unfortunately, that was not to be.

"Beast?" Gaston called out, now in the same corridor as the Beast's hiding spot. "Oh Beast! Where are you? Not with Belle I know. You're slacking I see. You were so gung ho to rescue her the other night but now let her wander around unprotected. I thought for sure you'd show up when I was...visiting with her. You disappoint me Beast!"

The Beast, hearing this, suddenly feared what this might mean for Belle. A growl escaped him before he could suppress it. Gaston's taunting had had the desired result.

"Ah," Gaston said. "You're here somewhere. I knew it! You gave me quite the lecture the other night. My reputation in Villeneuve has suffered. I've come to settle the score and win back my admirers."

The Beast, blinded by his concern for Belle, emerged from hiding.

"Where's Belle?" he growled. "What did you do to her?"

The response the Beast received was a gunshot. He roared as the bullet ripped through the right side of his chest. As Gaston was reloading, the Beast grabbed the gun from him and threw it as far as he could. He grabbed Gaston, and, by the power of pure adrenaline, dragged the hunter up to the tower and threw him uncerimoneously into the cell. Locking it, he headed back down the stairs. With the threat locked securely away, the fact that the Beast was severely wounded caught up to him. Adrenaline surge over, he collapsed at the bottom of the tower stairs.

Maurice re-entered the corridor of the storage room they had selected to wait for Gaston in with the mirror. He stopped when he saw Gaston's gun lying on the floor. He then noticed a blood trail and wasted no time in following it. When he saw the Beast lying on the floor face down, he ran over.

"Beast!" he said as he rushed over and knelt by the Beast's head. The Beast groaned as Maurice turned the Beast on his side. "Beast? Beast it's Maurice. Can you hear me Beast?"

The Beast groaned again. Then coughed up a bit of blood. Maurice helped the Beast roll over onto his back, and gasped when he saw the wound to the right side of his chest.

"Gaston got you good this time," Maurice said worriedly. "Where is he?"

"The...tower..." the Beast whispered weakly. He was clearly struggling to breathe. "W-where's...Belle?"

Maurice summoned Belle's image in the mirror before responding.

"She's almost to the corridor of the room we were to hide in," he said. He rolled the Beast back on his side in case he needed to cough up more blood. "She has the healing potion from Agathe. I'll run and get her. Hold on. Just lay here and hold on. On your side like I've got you. Bullet probably went in your lung. I'll run and get her."

"I...I don't...know...if...if I...can...hold on," the Beast said weakly.

"Try," Maurice said. "It's best the dosing is started while you're alive. It can revive for only a short time after death. Just hold on as long as you possibly can. We won't be long."

Maurice gave the Beast a reassuring pat on the arm, stood, and headed off to get Belle.


	10. Aftermath

**Okay, to those who asked, yes it actually happened. And here is the aftermath of that. And yes, I plan for Gaston to be punished once Agathe returns.**

 **I know our Beast of few words has a decent sized speech here. But after what happened to Belle he has a thing or two to say to Gaston. Oh dear...Gaston gets chewed out again by Beast, and it's probably a good thing there is a cell door between them...because the Beast does (understandably) have thoughts of putting the literal 'chew' in 'chew out'.**

 **Okay, Agathe should be returning soon. But before that happens, I think I'm going to put a chapter in right after this one of Maurice and Beast having a conversation. It's kind of interesting how these two met under rather unpleasant circumstances, not liking each other _at all_ , and now they're working quite well together. I think a chat between these two as they bond over their mutual love of Belle would be interesting to see unfold. So that will probably be what comes right after this chapter, then after that we'll again see Agathe. **

Maurice was halfway through the blood-stained corridor when Belle entered the other end. She seemed frantic. Traumatized even.

"Papa!" she cried out. "Gaston! He locked me in a room! I finally broke out! He's loose! Papa, he...he..."

"He's in the tower locked up Belle," Maurice said. "But wounded Beast in the process. Badly. Do you have the vial Agathe gave you?"

"Yes," Belle said. "Take me to him!"

"We must hurry," Maurice said. "He's only barely with us!"

As they ran, Belle took the vial from her pocket, fearing what she may find. When they arrived where the Beast lay, they both knelt beside him.

"Beast?" Belle said with concern.

No response.

"Beast!" she cried. "Is he unconscious or dead? That determines dosing frequency. If he's dead I just hope we're not too late for this. Oh Beast I can't lose you now!"

"He's breathing, slightly," Maurice said, lifting his head from the Beast's chest. "He's got a faint heartbeat."

"We give this every ten minutes then," Belle said, opening the vial of blue liquid. "Hold his head for me please."

Maurice cradled the Beast's head in his hands so the mouth was facing upward. Belle carefully let two drops fall onto the Beast's tongue. After a moment Maurice placed the Beast's head back on its side.

"Is there a reason he's on his side?" Belle asked. "Should we not roll him on his back?"

"I did briefly to see the wound," Maurice said. "He coughed up some blood. I think it's best he's on his side so if it happens again it can come out easier and not choke him."

"What happened?" Belle asked.

"We were waiting for your return," Maurice said. "We grew concerned so I went to fetch the mirror. When I came back Gaston's gun was on the floor in the hallway and a blood trail led here. He was conscious but very weak. He said he'd locked Gaston in the cell."

"If there was a blood trail and the gun was in the hall that must be where he was shot," Belle said. She looked at the blood trail leading up the tower staircase. "He must have somehow managed to get Gaston into the cell and back down before he collapsed."

"What I gathered," Maurice said. "I had no time to ask. I had to get you down here with the potion. I'm not sure he could have explained it anyway in his state. I told him to hold on while I fetched you and left him."

"Why was he out of hiding?" Belle asked. "I know we expected Gaston later but if you were concerned enough to check the mirror you must have entertained the possibility he was already here. What was the Beast doing in the open?"

"I don't know," Maurice said. "He was supposed to be hidden. By the way Belle you're shaking. Like you've been through something. Is it just the condition the Beast is in or is there something else?"

"Something else," Belle admitted. "I'll tell you when the Beast has regained his strength. It's not something I wish to repeat."

It wasn't until after the third dose was administered that the Beast showed signs of returning consciousness.

"Beast," Belle said softly, stroking his mane. "Beast I'm here."

"Belle..." the Beast said weakly. He took her hand in his paw.

"I'm so glad you're awake," Belle said. "It took three doses of Agathe's potion. I was starting to worry it wasn't working."

"Did I...lose...consciousness?"

"Yes," Maurice said. "Do you remember what happened?"

"I...I was shot," the Beast said. "Gaston...shot me."

"That's right," Belle said. "Seems you managed to drag him up to the cell and get back down here before you collapsed."

"I...was so...focused," the Beast said. "I...pushed through...to do...what...needed done. Then...it just...sort of...hit me...that...I was...injured..."

The Beast coughed up more blood.

"Don't try to talk, anymore," Belle said. "Wait until you're stronger. Just rest now."

After another two doses, the Beast no longer needed to cough up blood. His breathing became a bit easier. After another dose, he regained some strength and rolled onto his back.

"How are you feeling?" Belle asked after the seventh dose at the one hour mark.

"Better," the Beast said, his voice stronger. "Breathing's easier."

"Can you sit up?" Belle asked.

"I'll try," he said.

With Belle and Maurice supporting him, the Beast tried to sit up, but was still too weak, so they gently lowered him back down.

"We'll try again after another dose or two," Belle said.

After two more doses, the Beast felt like he might be able to sit up. Again, with Belle and Maurice supporting him, he moved to sit, this time successful. He remained sitting when Maurice and Belle removed their hands to see if he could sit on his own.

"We move to twenty minute dosing now," Belle said. "The wound looks to be healing."

This continued until the two hour and forty minute mark, when finally the Beast was fully healed.

"My shoulder even feels like it's fully healed even though I didn't use this stuff for it," he said.

They finally had their lunch, though Belle seemed to not have much appetite and just sort of picked at the food on her plate. They then moved into the parlor and sat down. Belle was shuddering, and seemed to have something troubling her.

"Is something wrong Belle?" the Beast asked, concerned.

Now it was time she had to tell them. She had to tell them why she was so traumatized. It was a wonder, perhaps, that Belle was able to set aside her own internal turmoil to tend to the fallen Beast. She knew it was a good thing, because losing the Beast was already an unbearable thought. But to lose him after what Gaston did to her was utterly out of the question. She took a deep breath.

"I was just coming in here to get Lumiere when I heard the door open," she said. "It was Gaston. I managed to knock him off balance and grab his quiver and destroyed his arrows. He dragged me to a room saying he had to make sure I didn't cause him anymore trouble. After he left me locked it took me so long to bust out. But while we were both in there..." Belle burst into tears.

"What happened Belle?" Maurice asked. "What did he do to you that has you so distraught?"

"He said he would claim what was his," Belle said through her sobs. "Which it turns out meant my virginity. He..." Her voice was now but a whisper. "He raped me."

"Why that...that SCOUNDREL!" Maurice said angrily, standing to his feet. "I hope there's a bullet in that gun! I'll shoot him myself!"

"Sit Papa," Belle said. "No need to stoop to his level. He's not a threat in the tower."

Maurice reluctantly sat back down.

"I admit I have a mind to rip him apart," the Beast growled. "But you're right Belle. We're better than that. I...I don't know what to say. I am so sorry this happened to you."

The Beast was, at this point, experiencing a mix of anger and heartache. He was angry that Gaston dared to violate Belle in such a way. And he was utterly heartbroken that Belle had to be violated in such a way. Under his very roof. Without him there to put a stop to it.

"Are you all right Belle?" Maurice asked, reaching over to put a hand on Belle's shoulder.

"I will be," she said tearfully. "I think. Probably. At some point. Maybe."

"Oh Belle," the Beast said. He walked over to Belle's chair and took her hands in his paws. "I should have come down here with you."

"No," Belle said. "He'd have shot you and then dragged me off, and I couldn't have used the healing potion on you."

"Maybe I could have overpowered him first," the Beast said. "If I had been down here I'd have stopped this happening to you or died trying."

"You'd have just died trying," Belle said. "Then he'd have done it anyway. And I'd have lost you. I couldn't handle that. I was so afraid the potion wouldn't work and you'd leave me. If you died I think I would have died. I know I'd have wanted to."

Belle threw herself sobbing into the Beast's arms. He just held her close to him, finding himself close to tears. He wished he could undo what had been done. The heartbreak he was going through was right up there with what he went through watching his staff and Chip become completely inanimate, if not worse, if that were even possible. He felt like a failure. He loved her. He should have been able to keep her from this horror. Belle was such a strong woman. It nearly killed the Beast, at least that's how it felt, to see she'd gone through something so terrible that she was nearly inconsolable. The one with the strength to take her father's place by shoving him out of the dungeon and closing the cell door on herself. The one with the fortitude to refuse his order to dine with him. The one who, after fleeing from the Beast's fury, had the grace to help him back to the castle after he saved her from the wolves and nurse him back to health. The one who had the kindness to give him a chance to be a friend. The one with the gutsy sense of humor to engage him in a snowball fight, and the dignity to handle his ginormous snowball knocking her over. The one who handled, with surprising grace, if understandable sadness, discovering the fate of her mother. The one who trusted him to lead her in a waltz. The one with the honesty to tell him the truth, not just what he wanted to hear, pointing out the difficulty of a captive being truly happy. The one who, no more than ten minutes later, after being freed from her captivity, actually said she wanted to return with her father, in spite of how he had treated them both. The one who had the bravery to face a lynch mob bent on throwing her father in the asylum. The one who stood by him as he grieved after helplessly watching his staff, who he'd come to consider friends, even family, become lifeless, ordinary objects right before his very eyes. And, most amazingly, the one with the heart capable of loving a Beast, something he had long since given up all hope of ever coming close to.

And through it all, she handled everything that came her way with amazing composure. Sure she shed a few tears here and there, but accepted what she had to face with grace and dignity.

And because of one selfish man visiting upon her the worst kind of violation a man could ever perpetrate against a woman, she was reduced to a shaking, sobbing mess. And he felt utterly helpless. He just held her, wishing for all the world that he could do more. He held her close until her traumatized body could cry no more and she pulled out of the embrace, for the most part, while not breaking contact. She looked up into his compassionate eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I kind of lost it there."

"If there's anyone who has every right to lose it it's you," the Beast said. "You need never apologize for responding how anyone in your situation would be expected to respond."

"I'm just glad I didn't lose it until after I'd gotten you back to health," Belle said. "If I'd broken down at that point and not been able to help you you'd be dead. And I know I couldn't handle that."

"You're a very strong and amazing person Belle," the Beast said. "I'm not surprised you were able to hold it together long enough to do what needed to be done." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Will you be all right with your father for a bit?" he asked softly. "I'd like to go have a word with Gaston."

"I'll be all right," Belle said. "Just please don't be too long. And remember, don't stoop to his level. Don't get physical as much as you want to."

"All right," the Beast said.

"Tell Gaston he can also look forward to me having a word," Maurice said. "Nobody lays a hand on my daughter as he did without being treated to a piece of my mind!"

The Beast made his way to the tower. Once there, he announced his presence with a growl.

"Ah, you're alive I see," Gaston said. "And looking quite well for having been shot in the chest. I was sure you'd be dead by now. And dragging me up here and going back down after I shot you had to weaken you quickly, no?"

"You might find I'm a rather hard beast to kill," the Beast said. "Especially when I have access to a potion that can heal an injury like mine in just over two and a half hours. But that is irrelevant. Let's talk about Belle."

"Ah, Belle," Gaston said. "My future wife, who I've come to rescue from you."

The Beast snorted angrily.

"Rescue?" he asked sarcastically. "Seems like you're the one she needed rescuing from! She told her father and I what you did to her."

"What do you mean?" Gaston asked. "Locking her in a room to keep her safe while I defeated you?"

"I _mean_ what you _did_ to her before leaving her there!" the Beast growled.

"What? Oh you mean consummating my claim on her?"

" _Exactly_ ," the Beast said, amazed by how proudly Gaston seemed to admit his deed. "Except you _have_ no claim on her. She is _not_ some prize to be won and she is _certainly_ not some plaything for you to do whatever twisted thing you want with her!"

"Twisted?" Gaston asked. "You call what I did twisted? Certainly it's better that I do it than you. If you want to talk about twisted, what about this love affair between a woman and a Beast...an _animal_?"

"My patience is wearing thin!" the Beast snarled. "First of all, whether a Beast or a man, I would _never_ do anything like what you did without her full consent. Second, it is because of the form I am currently in that I would not do it even if she were to consent. I have enough humanity to know that there are boundaries that must be respected!"

"But if you were human there would be no boundaries," Gaston said.

"Oh you couldn't be more wrong," the Beast retorted. "Sure there wouldn't be the cross-species boundary there that exists now. But there is still the boundary of consent. A concept you seem to have trouble grasping. You know at my worst, before I was cursed to be the Beast I acted like with my cruelty, I _never_ forced myself upon a woman like you did Belle. As ruthless as I was that's something I _never_ would have done."

The Beast hoped this was true. He had actually never met a woman before with whom he'd have wanted to be so...physically close to. But he liked to think that even when he was at his worst, rape was something he'd have never been capable of.

"You know, I have a _lot_ of anger for what you did to Belle," the Beast continued. "A _lot_. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to open that cell door and do you some _serious_ bodily harm right now, and believe me the _only_ thing keeping me from doing so is I'm above that. I've learned to be merciful even if I don't want to be." He paused, letting his words sink in. "But you know what Gaston? More than the anger is the heartbreak. My heart shattered to see the strong and courageous woman that somehow managed to get through the barrier around and steal into my meloncholy heart, and teach said heart how to love, without even realizing she was even doing it, so emotionally wounded and violated."

"What was she to expect?" Gaston said. "I mean, she wouldn't willingly marry me. She should have expected that I would eventually have to put my foot down and teach her something about submission."

"You _disgust_ me!" the Beast said, nearly roaring. "You blame _her_ for what _you_ did? You think what you did is _justified_? I have a mind to let you rot in this cell for the rest of your life for how despicable you are! But I plan on a visit from the enchantress who cursed me tomorrow. Who taught me the lesson I needed. Since you did not take my advice the other night, I think I shall see if she'd like to teach you your own lesson. And like I warned the other night, I think you'll wish you'd learned _without_ her assistance. So if she'll take you on I shall hand you over to her. And that, Gaston, you _vile_ creature, is about all I have to say to you. Though I think Maurice may be paying you a visit before long. He's not at all happy with what you've done to his daughter."

With that, he turned on his heels and left Gaston to contemplate the second chewing out he received from the Beast. He stopped to pick Gaston's gun up off the floor and put it in the storage room they planned to hide in to ambush Gaston. He didn't want Maurice seeing it lying in the hall and recall his earlier contemplation. He noticed the trail of blood he'd left earlier, now the only reminder he'd been near death. He just wished he'd shed that blood protecting Belle from the horror that had befallen her.


	11. Beast And Maurice Bond

**Okay! This was an interesting chapter to write. I thought a chat between Beast and Maurice would be good at this point. I expected it to be a fairly short chapter, but it's surprisingly long for being just two characters talking. Even though I had a general idea of the conversation, I tend to like to let the characters lead the way when I write, so the conversation did take a few turns I wasn't expecting. I think Maurice may have missed his calling. He's an artist, but here he seems to be making a pretty decent psychologist at times.**

 **I'd like to explain the whole thing about the talk of Beast's name. I know that Adam is widely held to be his name, but since, on the special edition of the animated version, in the audio commentary with the executive producer and co-directors they explained that they got to the climax where Belle calls to him from the balcony and realized hey, we never named him, and they ultimately never did, hence she calls out "Beast", I'm thinking that's as an official a stance we will get at least for the animated film. I had hoped they'd name him in the live-action film (heck, they named other characters not named in the animated film), but they did not. But everyone knows he was once human, so he had to have a name right? So I decided to explore why he might not wish to recall it.**

 **Next chapter, Agathe returns!**

It was decided that Belle and Maurice's mattresses would remain in the west wing again that night. They would all bunk down in the Beast's room once more. Neither Beast nor Maurice were keen to be far from Belle. Sure Gaston's cell was quite secure and an escape was unlikely, but if there was _any_ possibility of Gaston getting loose it was unthinkable that Belle should be alone. Plus in her emotionally fragile state both wanted to be near. Truth be told, Belle did not relish the thought of being alone either. So they all retired that night to the Beast's room.

Maurice awoke after a couple hours. Belle was still sleeping, but he noticed the Beast's bed was empty. Maurice looked around and noticed a shadow out on the balcony. He got up and moved closer. Sure enough, the Beast was sitting out on the balcony. Maurice quietly walked out to him.

"Mind some company?" he asked quietly.

The Beast looked up to see the old man, smiled, and gestured for him to sit, which Maurice did.

"Couldn't sleep?" Maurice asked.

"Not really," the Beast said. "You?"

"I did for a bit," Maurice said. "I awoke and saw you were gone so I looked around and found you here."

"I was feeling a bit restless," the Beast said. "I just can't believe what happened to her."

"Me neither," Maurice said. "I also couldn't believe Gaston's attitude when I went to give him a piece of my mind. He actually thinks he was justified!"

"Oh I know," the Beast said. "Believe me when I was up there listening to him it was all I could do to not open that cell door and really do a number on him."

"Her whole life I spent protecting her," Maurice said. "Keeping her safe. It started when she was a baby and we had to..." his voice trailed off.

"I know about that," the Beast said. "I showed her that book we used to escape the mob. She took us to the Paris of her childhood, where you lived with her mother. I asked what happened to her mother and she said it was the one thing you could never bring yourself to tell her about. I knew though when I spotted the beaked mask the doctor had discarded."

"So she knows?" Maurice asked.

"Yes," the Beast said softly.

"I'm sorry she had to find out that way," Maurice said. "I should have told her, but she was right, I never could quite do it."

"I hope this doesn't sound selfish of me," the Beast said. "But I think it was good we had that experience. Hopefully for both of us. We bonded on a level we hadn't yet bonded, and I think I was close to loving her at that point. I told her I was sorry for calling you a thief. And I am Maurice. I know I told you before but I'll tell you again because I am very sorry about that."

"And like I said I shouldn't have taken a rose from private grounds." Maurice said. "So technically I was a thief, even if a life sentence was a little over the top."

"I called you and Belle a fool when she took your place," the Beast said. "If only I'd realized then the only fool was me."

"I never thought I'd say this," Maurice said. "But what you did turned out for the best. It ultimately got us both out of Villeneuve. I thought we'd be safe in that small village. Not long before you met us I acknowledged the people were smallminded, but assured her that small meant safe. Now safe is not a word I can honestly associate with that village. Not after all that's happened. Not after what one of them did to my daughter. You've made mistakes, but one of those just happened to be the catalyst to getting us into a safer situation here at the castle."

"How do you call this castle safe?" the Beast asked, his voice catching with emotion. "It was here Belle was so violated. Like you I want her safe. Protected. And I couldn't even provide a safe haven under my own roof for her, where she wouldn't have to endure such an atrocity." He sighed. "I'd given up on ever learning to love, much less earning love in return. Then along came Belle and she slowly inched her way into my heart without even trying. I freed her because I loved her and she wanted to return because she felt this was a safe place."

"She knew Villeneuve was no longer safe," Maurice said.

"She felt you'd both be safe here," the Beast said. "And she wasn't."

"She was," Maurice said. "The only reason she wasn't for a time was because Gaston invaded her safe haven, which we knew about and were preparing for as best we could. When you were lying unconscious and it took a while for the potion to bring you around, she was so scared she'd lose you, for that would mean she'd have to deal with her trauma without you who make her feel safe. When you were healed and she told us what happened, she went into your arms because you make her feel safe."

"I'm sorry you had to witness that," the Beast said. "Your daughter seeking comfort in the arms of a creature like me."

"I'm not a bit sorry I witnessed it," Maurice said. "I'm glad she's found someone she can love, and who loves her. Let's face it, I've got more years behind me than ahead. Not that I plan on going anywhere in the near future but I'm not young by any stretch of the imagination. Without the little species descrepency forbidding marriage you both would have my whole hearted blessing. Even though there is that inconvenient little technicality, you're human enough, you've proved it, that I can't think of anyone better than you to take care of her even after I'm gone."

"I appreciate your vote of confidence," the Beast said. "I'm just not sure why you think I deserve it."

"You've learned to love and care for others," Maurice observed. "Just not yourself."

"Being selfish is the whole reason for this curse," the Beast said.

"Valuing yourself doesn't make you selfish as long as it's not over the top and as long as you also value others," Maurice said. Then he started wondering something. "May I ask you a question?"

"Sure," the Beast said.

"How did you get how you were...before the curse?"

"It's sort of complicated," the Beast said. "My mother was kind and loving. But she died when I was young. I suspect if she'd lived I'd never have turned out how I did."

"And your father?"

"He's dead now too," the Beast said, much more matter-of-factly than the fond tones with which he spoke of his mother. "He lived until I was seventeen, a couple years or so before the curse, then he died and I've been the master of the castle since."

"I take it you didn't get along so well with him?" Maurice asked.

"Not so much," the Beast said. "Since my mother died he was the only one I really had as a role model, unfortunately the wrong type. He was vain and a tyrant. Seeing how he treated people, including myself, didn't do me any favors. By the time he died and I took charge I was as hard and selfish as he was."

"I'm sorry," Maurice said, placing a hand on the Beast's arm, something he sensed the Beast's own father never did in kindness. "No father should treat a child like that."

"I suppose even though I was selfish I never really valued myself, the way you seem to think of it," the Beast said. "You seem to think it involves loving oneself. I was vain, only allowing outer beauty to enter my castle. That was a contributing factor for the curse. The enchantress Agathe seems to have a penchant for appearing as an old hag which didn't go over so well here. I demanded respect and obedience from my staff, thinking myself entitled since I was the master. But loving myself? I...I don't think so."

"You probably would have had your mother lived," Maurice said. "Your father should have instilled self-love and self-worth into you. That's not the same as selfishness. Selfishness seeks momentary, superficial comfort, generally at the expense of others. Self-love goes deeper...with it you don't need those superficial comforts, nor do you need to satisfy your desires at the expense of others, because you know you matter because you are you."

"Hmm," the Beast said. "Nobody has ever put it like that."

"Tell me something," Maurice said. "Did your father ever give you a hug, then look you in the eye and tell you you did a good job?"

"Pretty much if he was touching me he was beating me," the Beast said. "And if he looked me in the eye to tell me something it was generally the thousand and one ways I screwed up that day. Are you saying there are fathers out there who hug and praise their children?"

 _No wonder the poor lad grew up to be the way he was_ , Maurice thought. This was, quite frankly, stunning.

"My father did that with me," Maurice said. "And I continued that with Belle. And while I'm not your father, I mean to take it upon myself to do exactly what he should have done many times as you grew up. I'm going to show you what a father is supposed to do to his child."

The Beast stiffened a bit, nervous about what Maurice meant to do. Maurice noticed and was saddened by the Beast's anxiety, but was not deterred by it. If anything it made him more determined to give the Beast, though an adult now, a taste of what his father should have done throughout his childhood. He wrapped his arms around the Beast. The Beast gave a soft gasp. He had an idea he was supposed to reciprocate the hug, and moved his arms as if he wanted to, but hesitated.

"Don't be afraid," Maurice said, much like the Beast heard him tell Belle before Belle threw him out of the cell she had stepped into. "Have you really grown up so lacking in paternal affection that it scares you, so lacking in it you don't quite know how to respond to it?"

The Beast tentatively put his arms around Maurice, but still seemed tense and unsure. Maurice decided he would hold the embrace until either the Beast actively pulled away or, hopefully, gave himself permission to relax and give in to it. Slowly, the Beast's anxiety began to succumb to the fatherly compassion he was receiving for the first time in his life. He was finally able to relax into more of a natural hug. After a moment, Maurice pulled back to allow just enough space so the two had direct eye contact.

"You have done well," Maurice said softly and with utmost sincerity. "And I'm very proud of you, son."

Well this caught the Beast completely off guard. Was it the praise Maurice gave him? Or was it that he addressed the Beast as "son"? Or was it both? The Beast wasn't sure. What was very clear, though, was that this pushed the Beast over the emotional edge. He squeezed his eyes tight as a sudden, unexpected flood of tears threatened to pour out. He swallowed heard several times, willing the lump in his throat to go down. Maurice simply closed the space between the two once more, holding him like he would Belle, like, in his opinion, any farther should.

"Let it go," he whispered. "Don't fight it."

"No," the Beast said. "Must...fight...it. My father...taught me...crying...is...what a...weakling...does. And...men...are supposed...to...be...strong."

"Time for a new lesson," Maurice said. "To be strong sometimes you must release the pent up emotions. If you don't they'll find other ways to escape. And not necessarily good ways. I have a feeling that's where much of your past rage comes from. Emotions you suppressed instead of letting out safely finally breaking free on their own. So again I say, let it go. Give yourself permission to feel what you need to feel and let it be released in a safe way. Only then can you be stronger."

The Beast surrendered, realizing he was fighting the flood in vain. So he allowed himself to softly sob on Maurice's shoulder. It felt strangely comforting to not be suppressing his emotions, and a lot of suppressed emotions had been surfaced telling about the lack of paternal love in his life, and experiencing it for the first time ever from a man from whom he least deserved it. After a good quarter hour, the Beast calmed and pulled out of the embrace.

"I don't know why that happened," he said. "It's like a lot of deeply buried stuff was suddenly unearthed and just overwhelmed me."

"That is a good thing," Maurice said. "You've got a lot buried over your whole life that just weighs you down and makes you someone you're truly not. I believe you were always good but all the pain you've had to endure has hidden your goodness away."

"Mrs. Potts has said that," the Beast mused. "After Belle left and I told the staff she may not return in time to lift the curse, Mrs. Potts said if they had to become inanimate, they'd go with the comfort of knowing the good they knew was always within me had finally come out."

"Wise teapot," Maurice said.

"Yeah," the Beast said sadly. "She was. She told Belle they deserved to be cursed with me because while my father raised me with cruelty the staff did nothing. But she did act as somewhat of a mother figure, as best she could. They may not have intervened, but how could they? They were staff under my father's employ. They had no authority to step in. I wish they hadn't blamed themselves for how I turned out. When my father died they couldn't do much about my behavior since at that point I was their employer." The Beast was silent for a moment. "Is what you did here really what a father is supposed to do?"

"It is," Maurice said. "I'm sorry that's so foreign to you."

"And I deprived Belle of that these last few months," the Beast said with guilt.

"Only because you were deprived of it your whole childhood," Maurice said. "That is the true curse. But I'm glad you now know how a father should treat his child. For your sake, but not just your sake."

"What do you mean?" the Beast asked.

After a long silence, Maurice took a breath and answered.

"You are aware, aren't you, that there is a good possibility that Belle will conceive?"

"I..." the Beast was caught off guard. "I hadn't thought of that. Oh poor Belle may have to have the child of her rapist."

"Some women in Belle's situation do elect to see a midwife who can provide herbs to...how to put it delicately...cause a miscarriage," Maurice said. "I don't think Belle will take that route though. Some of her favorite homalies from our village priest, Pere Robert, were ones in which he spoke of how all life is precious. How each soul is a gift from God. If she does conceive, I'm sure she will not want to end the child's life before it can really begin. Nor would she sentence the child to death for who his or her father is. But I once knew a young woman in Paris, a neighbor of ours, who did take that option. She later confessed to my wife she wished she hadn't. I hope Belle doesn't take that decision, and like I say I do not believe she will. But obviously the child would need to be protected from Gaston."

"Of course," the Beast quickly agreed.

"I'm sure Belle would hope you'd take on the father role," Maurice said.

"Oh wouldn't that be a sight," the Beast said. "A Beast, in love with a woman, raising her child as his own."

"Quite unorthodox I know," Maurice said. "But you love her, she loves you, and you would love the child, no?"

"Of course," the Beast said. "And I would be determined to protect the child from Gaston where I failed with protecting his mother." After a moment of silence, he spoke again. "Should...we tell her she may conceive?"

"She may have already realized it's a possibility," Maurice said. "Or will realize it. But we probably should make sure she's aware of it at some point. But let's wait a while and give the shock of what happened time to settle."

"My heart broke when I released Belle and thought she'd never return or even want to return until she said she'd be back," the Beast said. "It broke again watching everybody turn into ordinary things. I didn't think a heart could hurt more. But seeing Belle have to go through this takes the cake." He sighed, then looked right into Maurice's eyes. "Is love worth it? The pain I mean?"

"I would have to say yes," Maurice said thoughtfully. "I wondered the same after the plague took my dear wife. But they say it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved. Besides if I never had loved her Belle wouldn't be here. With love comes much joy. But it does also come with much pain. You hurt when you lose those you love. You hurt when those you love are hurting. But without love what would we be? From what you seem to have experienced, not much. Your hardness kept you from the pain you feel now. But wasn't being practically alone in the world painful?"

"It was," the Beast said. "Belle is the first person in _years_ to make me feel anything other than anger, despair, hopelessness and self-loathing. I actually came to feel _good_ in her presence."

"See?" Maurice said. "Isn't pain worth it if it's brought on by something that makes you feel good as well?"

"I suppose," the Beast said.

"By the way," Maurice said. "I am just wondering...what is your name?"

"My name?"

"Yes, you were once human," Maurice said. "You must have a name. Surely you were not called 'Beast' before the curse."

"I had one," the Beast said. "But so long as I am a Beast, that shall be my name."

"Why?" Maurice asked. "Don't you want to be addressed as a human?"

"I haven't heard my name in years," the Beast said. "The staff all called me Master. Even when my father was alive they rarely used my name. Usually they called me 'young master" or "your highness". My father never spoke my name in love. My mother did of course but once she was gone if I was addressed by name it was usually by my father which meant he had something unkind to say. Since the curse the only thing I've been called was Master until Belle came. She calls me Beast and while it sounds unflattering she says it in kindness. So I guess I prefer it now over my human name. Honestly I've put my name out of my head for so long I'd have to think a while to recall it. And I'd rather not."

"I understand," Maurice said. "You'd rather be called what you've been called in a loving way." After a silent moment he spoke some more. "Unless you want to talk more I think I'll head back to bed. You probably should too. Remember, we expect Agathe to return in the morning."

"Yes," the Beast said. "I thank you for talking to me. And showing me what a father should be."

"I hope, though you're now grown, you'll allow me to be a sort of father figure for you," Maurice said. "Kind of try to give you what you never had growing up. If you ever wish to talk or need advice or anything, I'm here."

"Thank you," the Beast said softly.

"Let me give you another hug before we go in," Maurice said. "You were so nervous before it was painfully clear you didn't know what to make of something you should have grown up with."

Maurice again put his arms around the Beast, who only slightly tensed for a moment before reciprocating, seeming less anxious. After a moment, they walked back into the bedroom. The Beast momentarily stooped next to Belle's mattress to gently brush a lock of hair from her face with a finger. He watched her sleep for a moment before standing and going to his own bed. Maurice smiled as he went to his own mattress.


	12. Agathe Returns

**Okay, I understand some folks are taken aback by the dark turn of events, and I apologize for offending some. Honestly, a rape situation hadn't been on my mind originally, but as chapters went on and we got closer to Gaston invading, I guess my mind hit the gutter. Plus, I** ** _do_** **think it's something Gaston would be capable of (though in hindsight, it was probably a strange time for him to do it, his goal is to slay the Beast...but wait, let's do this first and then get back to hero time!). So yeah, while it may not have been necessary, or timed very well, I don't think Gaston is above it.**

 **I will admit, I do tend to find it interesting how events, even ones with a dark theme, will shape how characters respond and move forward. For instance, Agathe will present a couple options...and one of them, though it involves complete lifting of the curse, comes at a very high price involving Belle. Which may put off those of you already put off by what happened, but I can assure you they take a less drastic option. Anyway, when she presents the first option, the reactions of each character may be stronger and/or different from what they might be without what Belle just went through. I don't want to give too much away in the author's note, but the characters will respond in ways they might not have otherwise. I feel like I'm rambling here, but basically I think sometimes traumatic events can lead to character development and even draw the characters ultimately closer together. I do see I may be pushing the trauma envelope though, and I'll try to lighten things up in coming chapters.**

 **GodlyJewel, you've got a point about the language and Belle's condition. When I first typed the "cut the crap" comment, it briefly occurred to me that that probably wouldn't have been said in the time period in question. But then it just seemed like such an appropriate response in my 21st century mind. I'll try to keep wording more period-appropriate. Also, I briefly considered her dress being torn. Then I thought if that happens, it's possible the vial from Agathe might be dislodged from her pocket and be lost and/or broken, which would have been very bad news for Beast. I suppose she probably shouldn't have been able to run to the Beast's side and perhaps shouldn't have had the presence of mind to do what needed done to save him. Perhaps Maurice should have taken the vial and done the dosing. Part of why she was in better condition than she really ought to have been in was my desire to keep things minimally graphic...I suppose that's hard to do given the circumstances. Make it too minimally graphic and realism suffers. I do understand where you're coming from. Don't worry about seeming critical...you and others are constructive about it. And you and others have valid points. Admittedly there are things about which I may be stubborn (like my remark above that I do think rape is something Gaston would be capable of, and also maintaining that it can be interesting to explore how traumatic events might alter how characters respond to a situation), sometimes I get on a roll and it's hard to get off of it, but when folks point things out it draws my attention to things I really need to pay attention to. Ultimately it should help me improve as a writer (if I can put a leash on the stubborn part of me lol). I think I'll try to incorporate some PTSD-type stuff. Wow that was a long response, I think I'll move on before this text wall does any more growing!**

 **I'm glad folks overall seemed to like the Maurice/Beast exchange. As heartrending as it gets at points it was interesting and even fun to write, as much as "fun" could be used to describe writing a rather somber chapter. Here we have two characters, who absolutely did _not_ meet on good terms. One thought the other to be a common criminal worthy of life in the dungeon. The other thought the first to be a merciless monster with at least two sentient objects (the teacup who he met, who indicated he had a mother), who threw him in the clink over a rose. We see in the movie a moment where both learn their first impressions were wrong, with Beast remorseful over calling Maurice a thief, and then Maurice realizing that the Beast isn't so bad after Belle shows him the rose rattle, but we don't see these two interacting. That's why I enjoyed writing that chapter and exploring how they might completely discard any previous notions about the other and come to fully accept the other. **

**Andbeadoctor wow you're right! I hadn't thought of that line from "How Does A Moment Last Forever" but you're so right. I have incorporated that in another little Beast/Maurice moment in this chapter.**

 **I do realize I've taken the story into uncomfortable territory with the rape situation. I guess I should ask...do people think I should revamp the last few chapters and this one to exclude it? I'd rather not, I'd rather just move forward, but I also don't want to weird people out too much, and I sense I might have or am well on the way.**

 **Anyway, let's see what Agathe was able to do, shall we?**

The next morning, the trio woke up at roughly the same time. Belle sat up and just seemed to stare ahead. The Beast went over to her.

"Are you all right?" he asked, reaching a paw out toward her shoulder.

Belle gasped and backed up on the mattress, fear in her eyes.

"Belle?" Maurice said, also reaching out toward her.

This caused her to shrink back.

"Don't touch me," she said in a small voice. "Please."

She stood up. She looked at her father, then the Beast, then back to her father, almost as if she thought one of them might actually be Gaston.

"Do you know who we are Belle?" Maurice asked gently.

"I think so," she said. "Yes. I'm sorry. When you reached to me I thought it was Gaston's hands. And even knowing who you are the thought of being touched right now is unsettling."

"Gaston is in the tower," the Beast said. "You're safe,"

"I know," Belle said. "In my head I know. Emotionally though..."

Her voice trailed off.

"You've been through a lot," Maurice said. "It's understandable you're unsettled."

"Could you help me get my mattress back into my own bedroom?" she asked.

"Are you sure?" the Beast asked. "You want to sleep alone? So soon?"

"Yes," Belle said. "It's hard waking up and looking at the two men I love, my father and my Beast, and seeing Gaston, however fleeting it is."

The Beast carried Belle's mattress back to the east wing and put it back on her bed. Maurice carried the pillow and blanket. They left her to change out of her nightgown. They also got Maurice's bedding back to his room. Then they went to the parlor to wait for Belle, and Maurice got the fire going. When this task was accomplished, he turned to face the Beast, who looked crestfallen.

"She realizes now she's not safe," the Beast said forelornly.

"I think the shock is wearing off," Maurice said. "Now the emotions are catching up to her. It's not that she feels unsafe with you, or me, or here at the castle. She may be reliving the event, and feeling unsafe in general. Like she said, her head knows she's safe."

"I hate seeing her like this," the Beast said. "That she has to go through this."

"You and me both," Maurice said.

"I wish I could be a comfort to her," the Beast said. "She sought comfort in my arms yesterday and now she won't let either of us touch her."

Maurice placed a hand on the Beast's arm.

"She will again," Maurice reassured. "What she needs now more than ever is our love. Which we give her however she needs it. Right now that means giving her her space."

"Last night I asked you if love was worth the pain," the Beast said. "You said it comes with joy as well as pain so it's worth it. I agree, but the pain does make it hard. Seeing her in such pain that she doesn't want even a comforting touch is hard. I get no joy from that."

"I know," Maurice said sadly. "Love isn't always joyful. Sometimes the pain of love seems to be stronger than the joy of it. But without one you can't have the other, as unfortunately we don't get to pick the part of love we like and discard the part we don't. There's a song I sometimes sing to myself, often when I'm making music boxes. There's a line I think speaks to this situation we find ourselves in. It goes 'it is love we must hold onto, never easy but we try'. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, I think it does," the Beast said.

"You haven't been familiar with love since your mother passed," Maurice said. "So it's basically a new concept for you. You've learned how to love, though you could still stand to learn to love yourself. You've earned Belle's love. You have the paternal kind of love from me that I wish for all the world you'd received from your own father throughout your childhood. I know you loved your staff and Chip from your reaction when they all became lifeless objects, and I believe the feeling was mutual. Now you need to learn how to navigate the conflicting emotions love brings. I think you'll find that even when love brings pain, it can also bring comfort."

At breakfast, Belle had a lackluster appetite. It seemed every noise had her looking over her shoulder to make sure it wasn't Gaston.

"Would it help you if I went and made sure Gaston's cell is secure?" the Beast asked her after breakfast.

"It might," she said. "But I don't want to trouble you Beast."

"No trouble," the Beast said and immediately went up to the tower.

Belle and Maurice went into the parlor. Belle gasped and jumped as she saw a figure in the room.

"It's all right Belle," Maurice said. "It's Agathe."

"Oh," Belle said, forcing a small smile. "Agathe. Hi."

"Hello Belle, Maurice," Agathe said. "I'm sorry if I startled you. I just traveled here rather than going to the door. I hope that is okay. Where's Beast?"

"Right here," the Beast said, entering the room. He looked at Belle as he sat down. "Everything's secure."

"Good morning Beast," Agathe said. "Well, I've come back, as promised."

"Has the enchanted committee made a decision?" the Beast asked, wanting to get right down to business.

"It has," Agathe said. "It is kind of a good news bad news sort of thing. There are a couple options to choose from. As you may remember, I said that if they agreed to the curse being lifted, there would very likely be a price."

"Right," the Beast said. "You said the price might be quite high."

"Right," Agathe said. "It is unusual for one of my kind to make such a warning. But I am more into fairness than many, perhaps most, even if I do things at times that fall short, such as the severity of the curse." She paused for a moment. "Anyway, the good news is that they have decided that I am allowed to lift the curse."

"That's great!" Belle said. "I needed some good news. So the Beast and our friends will be free?"

"Hold on," Maurice said. "Didn't you say there was some bad news with the good?"

"Yes I did," Agathe said. "The bad news is in regards to the price the committee has imposed. It is one I believe you will find yourselves having difficulty agreeing to."

"What is it?" the Beast asked.

"If I lift the curse," Agathe explained. "I am to take Belle with me to our realm, where she will be auctioned off as a servant to the highest bidder of the enchanted realm. Whoever ends up with her might not necessarily be kind. They've made it clear that I won't be eligible to bid. So I will have no say where she ends up."

A growl escaped the Beast.

"Absolutely _not_!" the Beast said, quickly moving to place himself protectively in front of Belle. Then, in nearly a roar, "THAT IS _OUT OF THE QUESTION_!"

"Now you look here!" Maurice said, moving to stand beside the Beast. "As much time as you've spent around Villeneuve and seen how good Belle is you mean to take her from those she loves? And who love her? _And_ where she may be ill treated? She's been through enough in the last day she doesn't need to be made a slave for some fairy who may not be good to her!"

"I don't want to take her," Agathe said. "But that is the price they've imposed if I lift the curse. She would have to come willingly too. Were she to refuse, that option would be gone.

"Take me," the Beast said. "If someone must go to free the others let it be me."

"They'll only take Belle," Agathe said. "And I don't blame either of you for not wanting her to go. Honestly I don't want to take her. But I do need to hear whether or not she is willing. Would you two step aside so I can see her? I won't do anything if she says yes, as I need not return with a decision until tonight."

Reluctantly, the Beast and Maurice stepped aside just enough that Belle could be seen between them. They both turned to face her. She was pale and trembling.

"Belle?" the enchantress asked gently, "Like I say, I don't need to report a decision until tonight. But what are your thoughts at this moment?"

"I..." Belle said. She wanted so badly for the Beast and her friends to be free of the curse, especially her friends who for all intents and purposes were dead. And Belle was one to sacrifice her own freedom for those she loved. Everybody in that room knew this about her. But now, after yesterday, the thought was just too much. "I...can't. I'm sorry. I want them free and I know I should put them before myself. But...I...just can't."

"That is perfectly fine," Agathe said kindly. "Honestly while I want to lift the curse, I had hoped you wouldn't agree to the deal. I would have no say who got you or how you'd be treated, and it's possible it would be a very bad situation. Plus I wouldn't want to separate you from your father or the Beast who earned your love."

"You did the right thing Belle," Maurice said reassurringly.

"I agree," the Beast said. Then to Agathe: "So that option is out. But you said there were a couple options?"

"That's right," Agathe said. "The other option is that I can restore all the objects to animate life. The committee requires no price, except I suppose that they will never be human again. But they will get to live. Shall I do that?"

"Please," the Beast said. "And there is something else we wish to discuss with you."

Agathe gave a wave of her hand and the restoration of those who had become inanimate throughout the castle back to life began.

"Let's discuss it while everybody regains life," Agathe said. "Does it have to do with Belle seeming so traumatized?"

"It does," Maurice said.

"What happened to you Belle?" Agathe asked.

Belle opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. After a moment, she found her voice.

"You tell her," she said to the Beast and Maurice. "Please. I can't even listen to it much less say it. I...I'll be in my room."

With that, Belle got up and left the room. Once she was gone, the Beast turned to Agathe.

"Gaston happened to her."


	13. Gaston's Comeuppance

*****Okay, as of April 11th at around 11:30ish am EDT, I've made a slight alteration to this chapter in response to a guest review suggesting that the curse on the villagers ought to double as punishment for their unkindness, particularly with the case of the school master and Mrs. Cogsworth (speaking of which, since this may effect what these villagers ultimately become, I must ask, due to visual impairment causing me to miss some details, was it one of these aforementioned that dumped Belle's laundry or someone else? I know there was quite a crowd at that point. I think I have a special idea in mind for the laundry dumper...). Not much of a change, just a couple sentences added for Agathe before they go to the tower. Thanks to the guest reviewer who reminded me of the fact that the adoring lackey thing isn't the villagers' only problem.*****

 *****Okay, another slight edit for Agathe inspired by advice from another guest review, suggesting clarifying a bit why the children are to be transformed. *****

 **Okay, this one's a bit shortish, but here's what happens to Gaston.**

 **GodlyJewel, well, she doesn't kill him, but by the time she's done with him he'll probably be wishing she had. Yeah he's insane, but I don't think he meets the legal criteria for the insanity defense (at least he wouldn't in 2017 USA).**

 **And yes, neutrals are incredibly annoying aren't they? You're right, taking that option would be unacceptable even if she hadn't been violated. Of course, knowing Belle, she probably would have agreed at least initially, but hopefully would have been talked out of going. It'll be interesting to see how the staff reacts once a more thorough explanation is given than what they receive in this chapter.**

 **Andbeadoctor, I hadn't decided whether or not to have her conceive, but I had leaned towards it. You have a point though, it could get upsetting or even step out into controversial territory considering, as you mention current events. I had kind of thought it might be a way Belle and Beast could have a child since, well, they can't the usual way, so it could be one of those "blessing in disguise" things. But I suppose that might be a hard sell. I can see why having a baby come from this might not be particularly wise.**

 **As for whether or not there will be a happy ending...I don't even know yet when or where the story will end! So it's a bit soon to say.**

 **Sort of an off topic question regarding your name...are you a doctor?**

 **All right! Time to deal with the creep!**

The Beast and Maurice told Agathe everything. How they saw in the mirror that Gaston was coming, despite the fact that his support in the village had dwindled to a meager four, then ultimately zero. How they'd prepared a room in which to hide out in so they could quickly overpower and disarm Gaston. How Gaston had arrived earlier than they expected and had violated Belle and nearly killed the Beast. How Belle somehow had the presence of mind to remember, after what she'd just been through, the instructions for the healing potion to save the Beast. Many of the reanimated staff had gathered in the parlor to hear this story as well. They were confused as to why they were once more mobile but not human, but knew this wasn't the time to ask.

"I'm sorry Gaston did that," Agathe said. "I think he definitely needs to be taught a lesson. I want to assure you I've learned some things from this curse and there are some mistakes I don't intend to duplicate. First, it will have to effect all of Villeneuve. I'll have to transform everybody like I did here. The reason for this is that it gives those around Gaston the incentive to help him learn to meet the requirements instead of just being his adoring lackeys though it would seem they are less keen on being his lackeys now anyway. As well it will serve as punishment for those who were unkind to Belle and Maurice. Honestly the only one in that village I feel bad about having to place the curse on is Pere Robert. I'll make sure he becomes something fitting and honorable. Perhaps a pulpit or a Bible. Everyone else was rather unsavory to varying degrees. They shall have forms that will properly reflect their actions. And I know it sounds harsh, but children and animals will be transformed. They simply can't care for themselves. As well, I do not wish the children to grow up with the same small minded views of their parents. So believe it or not turning the children and animals as well is for the best. However, I will not make the spell progressive. Those transformed will be living objects until Gaston breaks the curse or, if not, forever but they will not become less animate over time nor will they become completely inanimate if the curse is not lifted. I will also not wipe Villeneuve from memory. Now, would you be so kind as to lead me to the tower? I think it is high time that Gaston was summarily knocked down from his high horse."

"Sure," the Beast said. But first he turned to the staff who had gathered with them. "I can explain more later, but Belle does love me. The enchantress restored you to life but couldn't restore our humanity because the last petal had fallen before Belle said she loved me. Like I say I can explain more later but now I must lead the enchantress to Gaston."

And so the Beast led the way to the tower. Maurice went with them, and Lumiere and Plumette tagged along as well. The Beast, upon reaching the cell, was first to speak.

"Gaston," he said. "There is someone here to see you."

Gaston looked.

"You brought Agathe up here?" he asked. "Throwing the hag in the slammer?"

"No," the Beast said. "The 'hag' is here to show you another side to her."

As if on cue, Agathe's hag disguise melted as she took on her true form as an enchantress.

"The Beast warned you the other night that you needed to learn to be kind," Agathe said. "You have failed to heed that warning. He said you never know when someone will come along who can teach you lessons in creative ways. And after what you did to Belle yesterday, I mean to get _very, very_ creative with you. I shall transform you here but then we'll go to Villeneuve where I'll impose the rest of the curse. You'll have a rose which will bloom for a long time, but then will start to wilt. All who live in Villeneuve will be objects like the staff here. And you will be transformed into the vile, wretched creature you are on the inside. Beast, would you open his cell door?"

As the Beast did this, Gaston raised the chamberpot in his cell over his head to throw at Agathe. This was a mistake. Agathe, with a wave of her hand, caused the chamberpot to levitate out of Gaston's hands and above him, and then it flipped over, uncerimoneously dumping its contents on Gaston's head. The waste dripped all over Gaston from his head to his feet.

"Don't try anything else funny," Agathe said. "So let's get to it shall we? You think you're so large and in charge, and really what you've done makes you very small indeed. So I'll shrink you to about four feet in height. You will also have the snout, ears and curly tail to match your piggishness. Your skin shall be covered with the scales of a snake, and said scales shall be a sickly green color. You'll also have the slimy skin secretions of a frog, because only a slimy one violates a woman like you did Belle. Oh and with the snake-like scales let's add to that a long forked tongue. You'll have the legs and feet of a chicken and the arms and hands of a monkey. You'll have a lion's mane and ram horns to resemble the Beast you attempted to murder. Gone will be your human hair and you'll have the fangs of a wolf. Only your eyes shall be that of a human."

As she was describing the various body parts, Gaston was transforming. When this was finished, there stood quite a grotesque and, quite frankly, ridiculous looking creature.

"Now you're also a Beast, but one much more horrid and vile looking than the Beast of this castle," Agathe said. "You look like the monster you are. If you and the others in Villeneuve _ever_ hope to be human again, you will have to learn to love. And no, you do not love Belle, or you'd not have done what you did. It must be a human that you learn to love, and who loves you in return. This will require you change who you are on the inside, so that one can see past your exterior. The love you give must be true love, not your current, twisted idea of it. And the love you earn in return must also be true. Because of this, neither you nor anyone in Villeneuve shall tell anyone how the curse can be broken. As for the rose I mentioned, you'll have to learn to love and earn love in return before the last petal falls. Otherwise you and all of Villeneuve shall remain under enchantment for all time. Now, let's go to Villeneuve."

And with that, Agathe and Gaston disappeared. The Beast turned to those who were with him.

"Wow," he said. "And I thought I looked dreadful."


	14. Meeting With The Staff

**Okay, I made a couple minor edits to the last chapter based on a couple guest reviews. Thank you to the guest(s) who suggested the clarifications.**

 **Okay, to answer some questions...**

 **Guest, I actually hadn't considered whether or not the villagers with loved ones in the castle would remember them. Hmm...might be interesting to have an enchanted villager come to the castle and 'meet' their loved one...maybe Monsieur Jean/Mr. Potts. Might be interesting.**

 **Lynnajens21, interesting idea...not sure if I'll do another story or not. I'll probably use this story to take a peak or two at the situation in Villeneuve, but haven't thought whether or not to actually do a story on Gaston's curse separately. That might be interesting to explore whether or not Gaston is even capable of the internal changes that breaking the curse would require.**

 **Guest, since Belle and Maurice now reside at the castle, they are not effected by the Villeneuve curse. So they'll age normally.**

 **Andbeadoctor, ah, that explains the name! And yes, it's hard to picture Gaston being capable of making the necessary changes to lift the curse. With Beast, it was really not so much about him changing who he was inside as much as peeling off all the layers of crud that buried who he truly was, so the gentle soul inside could finally thrive. With Gaston? I think a very radical change of who he is would be required, and I think that's a pretty tall order, isn't it?**

 **Okay, let's see how Belle is coping and how the staff respond.**

That evening, the Beast was concerned. It was time for dinner, and Belle hadn't even come down to lunch earlier. Mrs. Potts had tried to coax her down, but she said she wasn't hungry.

"She wouldn't even take a cup of tea," the newly revived teapot had said. "And Lord knows it's been a few days since I've been able to make her any."

And now she wasn't at dinner. Mrs. Potts again went to her, and again she came down without the young woman.

"Did she take tea this time at least?" the Beast asked.

Mrs. Potts shook her head. Or rather, her body, since she didn't exactly have a distinction between her head and the rest of her. The Beast looked at Maurice, whose expression also showed concern.

"I'm worried Maurice," he said. "She's been holed up all day in her room. Won't eat or even have some tea."

"I know," Maurice said solemnly. "That's not going to be good for her. But she's been through something no one should go through."

"I have a mind to go see her," the Beast said. "But will she be all right with that?"

"Hard to say," Maurice said. "It's possible she'd initially think you're Gaston."

"Suppose I identify myself while the door is yet closed?"

"That would be a good idea," Maurice said.

The Beast made his way to the east wing and gently knocked on Belle's door.

"Belle?" he asked softly. "It's me Beast."

"Come in," Belle said.

The Beast opened the door and walked in. A glum Belle sat on the edge of her bed.

"Are you all right?" the Beast asked, his voice laced with love and worry. It seemed like a stupid question. She was obviously not all right. "We're all pretty worried about you."

"I'm sorry," Belle said. "I don't mean to worry everybody."

"You haven't eaten a thing since the small amount at breakfast," the Beast said. "And Mrs. Potts said you're not accepting tea."

"I can't," Belle said. "Food and tea prepared by the staff? The staff I couldn't free from the curse? Eating it with you, who I also couldn't set free? I should have agreed to go with Agathe. I had the chance to free you all. But after what happened I just couldn't bring myself to go."

"Of course you couldn't," the Beast said. He felt like his heart was sinking into the pit of his stomach listening to her blame herself for not saving everybody. "Belle, even if you hadn't been through what you had, neither your father nor I would have wanted you to go. Agathe didn't recommend it either. When an enchantress says going amongst those of her own kind is not a good idea, that's saying a lot. But after what you've been through, going away where you might be ill-treated is even more unthinkable than it already would be."

"Does the staff know?" Belle asked. "That I could have set them free if I'd given myself up? I told Madame De Garderobe, but the others?"

"They were told this morning that you love me but it was too late," the Beast said. "That the enchantress did restore life, and that I could explain more later but I had to take Agathe to deal with-" he stopped. The mention of Gaston's name might not be wise at this moment. "To the tower."

His thoughtful rephrasing to avoid the name that would be painful to hear was not lost on Belle, and she offered him a small smile of appreciation.

"You'll tell them right?" Belle asked. "They deserve to know the truth."

"I will," he said. "If you're sure you want me to mention that part. But in no way will I blame you for not giving yourself up."

"But I am to blame and they deserve to know the truth," Belle said. "I wish I could have helped. And not everybody can really move around. Poor Madame is stuck here upstairs while Maestro Cadenza is stuck downstairs. They're married but can never live like they are because they're stuck on two separate stories."

"And I don't blame you," Madame De Garderobe put in. "And neither will the Maestro I am sure. Yes we'd like to be together again but you did what you had to do. And at least we both can see our Froufrou."

"Thank you Madame," Belle said. "But I'm usually not so selfish as to not do what's needed for the sake of those I care about."

"Taking care of yourself isn't selfish Belle," the Beast said. "No one will blame you. At least I hope not."

The Beast felt awkward standing there in the middle of the room. He wanted nothing more than to close the distance between them and take Belle into his arms. To hold her close. If he couldn't stop her from having to endure the suffering she was in, he wished he could hold her while she endured it."

"What's wrong Beast?" she asked. "You seem uneasy."

"I wish he hadn't made it so even a gentle touch is unsettling," the Beast admitted, sadness in his voice. "I feel like he put a chasm between us. I find myself wanting desperately to take you into my arms while you're in the pain you're in. But I know from this morning that you fear physical contact right now."

"Come here," Belle said softly. "Sit next to me."

When he did this, she took his paw in her hands.

"We mustn't let there be a chasm," she said, a hint of determination in her voice. "We can't let him win. I'm not quite ready for you to hold me I'm afraid, but I'll do my best to work toward it. If this had to happen we mustn't let it be in vain. We must use it somehow to ultimately draw us closer together."

"Your ability to face this with grace is astounding," the Beast said.

"I feel like that ability has been taken from me," Belle said. "But I'm taking it back."

"Will you come down for dinner?" the Beast asked gently. "At least let me send some up here? You really do need to eat."

"I know," Belle said. "I'll be down in a few minutes. Then we should meet with the staff."

The Beast smiled and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Then he went back downstairs. He was surprised to see Maurice at the table, plate untouched.

"You didn't have to wait," he said taking his spot.

"Seemed proper," Maurice said. "How is she?"

"She'll be down in a few minutes," the Beast said. Then he gave a sad sigh. "She was up there all day blaming herself for not agreeing to give herself up to lift the curse."

"That's more of a burden than she needs right now,"

"I know," the Beast said. "I'm just glad I got her to agree to come have dinner. She wasn't wanting to eat food or drink tea prepared by the staff who she felt responsible for condemning to stay under the spell." After a short pause he continued. "I wanted to take her into my arms but knew it would likely not go over well. She saw I was standing there awkwardly and asked what was wrong so I told her. She invited me to sit beside her on the bed and she took my paw. She said we can't let Gaston win and create a chasm, that while she's not ready for hugging we must use this to draw closer together. I admire her strength but I suspect it will be a process for her."

"And one likely to have ups and downs," Maurice said. "You're doing well."

After dinner, which Belle did attend, everybody mobile enough gathered in the parlor. Cadenza was already there, but of course Garderobe, who knew what was to be said anyway, and Cuisinier remained in their respective places. Once all were gathered that could be gathered, the Beast called everybody to attention and began speaking.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why you're alive after having fallen under full effect of the curse," he began. "It took a few days, as the enchantress had to seek permission to change the curse despite the requirements not being met in time. They were met, as I love Belle and she loves me, but the last petal had fallen before she realized she loved me. Now the committee the enchantress had to consult is made of mostly ones who are morally neutral. This means they're not too concerned with fairness. Often they will impose a price if they allow a particular curse to be lifted outside of its conditions." He paused a moment so everybody could digest this. "Now there was an option to lift the curse. However the price was simply too high. Even Agathe, which is the name of the enchantress, did not recommend we take the option, even though she wanted to be able to reverse the curse. For us all to be human again, Belle would have to have gone to the enchanted realm to be auctioned off, and she may or may not have been well treated. Under any circumstances, this would have been unacceptable."

There was a collective gasp and murmuring that spread throughout the room at the revelation of what would have had to happen for humanity to be restored.

"Some of you heard this morning when Belle's father Maurice and I told the enchantress what happened to Belle," the Beast continued. "I'm sure the news has traveled amongst the staff, but for those who do not yet know, a man from Belle's village trespassed here, caught her alone, and...forced himself upon her in the worst violation a man can ever perpetrate against a woman. That was yesterday."

Another gasp ensued from a few who hadn't yet heard. A few angry notes issued from Maestro Cadenza. Even Froufrou sensed what the Beast said was something very bad and let loose a low growl.

"When Agathe asked Belle if she was willing, she said she couldn't," the Beast continued. "Even if she had agreed, and even had she not been violated, her father and I would have objected. But we all know how Belle gave up her freedom for that of her father all those months ago. She normally will sacrifice herself for those she cares about, and she does care deeply for all of us. She sadly blames herself for not agreeing to go so that we might all be free of the curse. But given what has happened to her, I'm sure we can all understand why she had to say no."

Most of the objects nodded and murmured their support. Cogsworth however, just had to be Cogsworth.

"With all due respect," he said, "is it really necessary we all remain cursed for the sake of one? YOWWWW!"

Cogsworth jumped a good six inches off the ground when he felt one of Lumiere's flames licking his arm.

"Cogsworth, I am surprised at you," the candelabra admonished. "Belle needs our support, not to be told she should suffer more so that we might be human. At least we have life restored."

While bickering between clock and candelabra might normally ensue, Cogsworth had the good sense to be immediately ashamed of himself.

"Quite right," he said contritely. "My apologies."

"I am sorry Cogsworth," Belle said. "And everyone."

"No need to apologize, lamb," this from the motherly Mrs. Potts. "You made the right call."

"But you're all trapped now," Belle said. "And Maestro, you're stuck down here while your wife is stuck upstairs."

"I won't lie, signorina," the kindly Italian musician-turned-harpsichord said. "I do so wish to be with my love again. But not at your expense. Just send my love and hugs to my dear Garderobe, if you please."

"I will," Belle said.

The Beast cleared his throat for attention.

"As you can gather," he said, "the enchantress was able to bring you back to life, without requiring anything. You may go now, that's all we needed to let you know. If you have any questions, I'm here. I've come to see you all more as family than staff, and really I'm the only one to blame for our situation. It was my cruelty that brought the curse down on us all in the first place."


	15. Beast Needs More Fatherly Support

**Okay, to answer reviewer questions...**

 **GodlyJewel, hmm you have a point. But...well I guess it's confession time (I'm not even Catholic and I'm picturing being in front of Pere Robert LOL): I love Beast. I love animate objects. So, a huge reason why my alternative endings for both animation and live-action have a habit of involving an unlifted and untransferred curse is because of this. I know...poor characters right?**

 **And yes, Cogsworth does have to spend a fair deal of time trying to extricate what passes for his foot from his mouth, doesn't he? Perhaps, even though he'd rather be a clock than with his shrewish wife, she's rubbed off on him a bit more than he'd care to think...**

 **Guest, sure...if only a Beast sauntering into an orphanage wouldn't be an ever so slight problem...**

 **Okay, I hope this chapter doesn't bore anybody, seem too redundant, or slows things down, but the idea came into my head last night for another Beast/Maurice chapter. I just so liked exploring this developing friendship and even paternal bond between these two that I MUST explore further! Don't be afraid to tell me if this chapter puts you guys to sleep since I did a similar thing a few chapters ago.**

 **OMG my mom and I just saw the movie again today! And we stayed for part of the end credits! Which means I got to hear the full version of How Does A Moment Last Forever! I am SO glad I heard it before finishing this chapter! There are a couple lines from that version that I MUST incorporate into this chapter! WOW!**

The Beast was walking down the east wing staircase that night after seeing Belle to her room. He found, amidst what was going on with Belle, that he had his own sorrow weighing down upon his heart tonight. It was official. The spell would never be broken. He and his staff...no...his staff-turned-family, would always be under the curse his cruelty had brought upon the castle. He took comfort that at least the enchanted objects were allowed to live. And, he did not regret for even a tenth of a second that Belle was not sacrificed for the curse to be lifted. That was unthinkable even if Gaston hadn't done what he did to her.

But he now finally knew, with one hundred percent certainty, that he could never again face human society outside the castle. The only two times he dared do so since the curse were when he introduced Belle to the portal book and again when he used it to rescue Belle and Maurice from the mob. In the first case, he was thankful that Belle had taken them to the old abandoned attic where she was born, though the revelation of her mother's fate had been painful. In the second case, it was an emergency situation and in fact his appearance as the Beast was practically required to prove Belle and Maurice's sanity.

But otherwise he was now trapped forever within the confines of the enchanted land around the castle. Perhaps he could now visit Villeneuve, considering it too was now cursed, but he didn't relish the idea of coming into contact with Gaston, considering what he'd done to Belle.

The Beast wished he could talk to someone about this sorrow. But who? He would not burden Belle with it. Not when she felt guilty for not giving herself up. Not the staff, for they too were in the same predicament. The Beast looked down a corridor at the sound of footsteps and found his answer. Maurice was headed toward his bedroom. Hopefully he wouldn't be opposed to a chat.

"Maurice?" he called out tentatively.

Maurice turned to him and smiled warmly.

"Beast," he said. "What's going on?"

"Um..." the Beast found himself hesitant. Maurice was obviously retiring for the night. "Uh...nothing really. I just saw you and...thought I'd say goodnight."

Maurice knew better than that.

"Come here," he said, gesturing for the Beast to follow him to his room. "I would be amused at that sudden bout of cold paws you just exhibited after obtaining my attention, were it not so clear you're bothered by something."

Once in Maurice's bedroom, they sat in chairs next to each other.

"Was it that obvious?" the Beast asked.

"It was," Maurice said. "From the way you called my name I knew you had something to say other than bidding me a good night."

"I did," the Beast admitted. "But it occurred to me you were retiring for the night and I figured my trying to start up a conversation would be rude."

"Nonsense," Maurice said. "Something tells me you aren't just looking for a social visit and deciding it would be best to wait."

"That's true," the Beast said. "Last night you said if I ever need advice or to talk you're here. Does...that still stand?"

"It stands as long as I draw breath," Maurice said. "I made a decision last night to take you under my proverbial wing and make sure you had the father figure your own father failed to be. That means if you need to talk, or need advice, I'm here. What's on your mind?"

"A realization hit me about the curse and I won't burden Belle with it given what she's going through and her misplaced guilt over it not being lifted," the Beast said. "Nor can I really talk about it with the staff since they're in the same predicament."

"Go on," Maurice urged kindly.

"It is official," the Beast said. "I will forever be a Beast. A creature. I can never hope to go out into the outside world again."

"What about that book you have?" Maurice asked. "The traveling book?"

"The traveling book," the Beast said. "When I first showed it to Belle, I called it the enchantress' cruelest trick. It turned out to be a great asset when you two were dealing with the mob, and Belle got to see where she was born, but other than that..." the Beast sighed. "Here's the thing about that book that feels so cruel. It allows its user to go anywhere in the world, commanded by a thought. Sounds great, right? Well, suppose that said user is a mix of several different animal species cobbled together to form a monster? Said user cannot simply waltz into a café in the middle of Paris, order lunch, and expect to be pleasantly welcomed."

He had a point. Maurice had to force himself not to smile at the rather amusing image this conjured, since it was anything but amusing to the Beast. He tried to think of something comforting to say, but nothing seemed adequate.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely.

"Aside from exploring abandoned attics and rescuing people I care about from angry mobs," the Beast said, "that book does little more than to serve as a painful reminder of what is out of reach." He paused. "Now foreveouur of reach. I am stuck, trapped inside my own little world."

Here, Maurice was not at a loss for something reassuring to say. He patted the Beast's shoulder, then let his hand rest there.

"Your own little world is now one filled with love, warmth, and friendship," he said. "Had you never learned what you needed to, you wouldn't have Belle, or me, or the staff since nobody would intercede on their behalf to Agathe. You'd still be trapped in your own little world, but it wouldn't be a world much worth living in. I hope it is now." He smiled sympathetically at the Beast. "It's no café in Paris, or any other public place. But it is a place where you never have to worry about sticking out from the crowd. Everybody here would stick out in any other crowd. You for obvious reasons, no offense. The staff for similar reasons as yourself. Belle for being a literate woman. Me I suppose for educating my daughter, though I could probably get around okay without too much ridicule. Except in Villeneuve where I was seen as crazy for ranting about a beast, though now I doubt they think that's quite so far-fetched. Here, in the castle, we can all feel safe from ridicule or judgement. We can be who and what we are."

"True." the Beast said. "This little world I'm imprisoned in is much better than it could be. But you and Belle can come and go at leisure and be relatively unscathed. I'd be lucky to get away with a few laughs or snide comments. My very life could be at risk. And I'm not sure I want to even think of what people might do to a talking candelabra, flying feather duster, or singing wardrobe. It's just hard...knowing we're all trapped. But you are right, it is much better than it could be."

"I wish I could say something to ease the sorrow of feeling...being trapped," Maurice said gravely. "That song I quoted from this morning...there's another part I think...I hope...you can take solace in." Maurice sang his next words.

"Maybe some moments weren't so perfect

Maybe some memories not so sweet  
But we have to know some bad times  
Or our lives are incomplete."

"You sing well," the Beast said. "Perhaps sometime you'll sing the whole song?"

"Thank you," Maurice said. "And perhaps."

"You have put things in perspective," the Beast said. "You're right, my world is worth living in now, and wouldn't be if I were left alone. Honestly were I alone now I don't know how long I would have lived. Being highborn sounds great, but with the luxury of having servants cater to your every need comes an alarming lack of self-sufficiency should your staff suddenly disappear. Which, for all intents and purposes, is exactly what happened for a few days. Cooking? Yeah right. I did some hunting in the woods. Eating like an animal. I suppose if Belle never came I'd have just had to take all my meals like that. Or maybe I'd have just let myself starve."

"Suicide by starvation?" Maurice asked, sadness at the thought. "Very slow way to go."

"I suppose so," the Beast said. "But to survive without servants would require giving up what shred of humanity I had. Like I said, a highborn life doesn't give you very many human survival skills. I was just thankful you knew how to build a fire when we didn't have the staff to keep it going. So much I took for granted my whole life. The few days with them all ordinary knickknacks was an eye opener!"

"When you're a peasant you do tend to be self-reliant," Maurice said. "A peasant can't afford to take things for granted."

"Nobody should," the Beast said. "You're wise Maurice. And strong of mind and heart. You and Belle have to be the strongest people I've met. You've both been through things you shouldn't have had to endure. Some of it by my paws. Have I told you I'm sorry about that?"

"You have," Maurice said. "And you've more than made up for it. And you're one of the strongest people I've met too. I'm sure Belle would agree. And you're a good man, Beast. A very, very good man."

"You truly believe that don't you?" the Beast asked softly.

"I do," Maurice said. "Do you?"

"Do I?" the Beast asked, not quite expecting Maurice's question. "Believe it? About myself?"

Maurice nodded.

"I want to believe it Maurice," the Beast said, voice slightly catching. "But it is hard to reconcile the idea that the one who locked you away over a rose, who took your daughter in your stead, when neither deserved it, is good."

Maurice gently turned the Beast to face him and made direct eye contact. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper but the sincerity was clear.

"The one who did that learned from his mistakes. The one who did that helped my daughter discover the one thing she most wanted and deserved to know, but I could never quite tell her. The one who did that set her free because he loves her, despite it sealing his and his staff's fate. The one who did that allowed her and me to return not out of obligation but by choice. The one who did that rescued us from a mob at great risk to himself. The one who did that consoled a little teacup as he faded from life, then his last two remaining staff as they too faded. The one who did that tried to keep the true monster from doing harm and when harm was done to Belle has been nothing but supportive to her. The one who did that has shown me far more good than bad. The one who did that has shown much compassion to others, and now needs to look upon himself with compassion."

Maurice's words were gentle, yet pointed, penetrating like an arrow into the very soul of the Beast. Silence fell between the two as the arrow's impact settled into its target. Most arrows are meant to wound their victims, but the opposite, healing, was this one's sole aim. The only thing Maurice meant to wound was the self-loathing that had plagued the Beast for far too many years. This self-loathing, Maurice knew, had the Beast far more trapped than his form that mandated he confine himself to his own home. Slowly, a warm smile spread across the Beast's furry face, and appreciation for the old man shone in his eyes.

"Thank you," he whispered. "I think I needed to hear that."

Silence fell again. Then Maurice spoke again.

"I was glad to see the staff support Belle," he said. "Mostly anyway. I'll hazard that Cogsworth's comment would have been better left unsaid. But I can't blame him for his frustration."

"Yeah," the Beast said. "I wasn't favorably impressed. I was going to offer him a few stern words. But Lumiere took care of the situation quite effectively."

"Yes he did," Maurice said, trying not to smile recalling the reason the mantel clock suddenly went airborne. "Remind me not to get on Lumiere's bad side!"

"I don't think you have to worry too much," the Beast said. "He seems to reserve that particular tactic for Cogsworth. They're the best of friends but really can go at each other. The only other victim of Lumiere's flames would be someone meaning harm. I've no doubt Gaston would have felt the heat were Lumiere not frozen in his form." He paused. "Cogsworth is actually kindhearted. He does have a heart of gold believe it or not. But he's also a cantankerous little clock who doesn't always think before speaking." The Beast recalled what Cogsworth said when Belle left to rescue her father and the Beast had to tell the staff she may not make it back in time to lift the curse. "When I let Belle go, even though she said she meant to come back I had to tell the staff it would likely be too late. Cogsworth said maybe it would have been better if I'd never learned to love and care for not only Belle but all of them. Hope had filled the castle and I had to tell them that hope was all but gone. He didn't mean to hurt me, but it did." He sighed, then stood. "I suppose I should retire. Goodnight and...thank you Maurice."

"Anytime, and remember, whenever you need to talk, don't be hesitant," Maurice said standing as well. He reached a hand out to touch the Beast's arm, stopping the latter's walk towards the door. "Now you don't think you're getting away that easy do you? Without me giving you one of those fatherly hugs you should have grown up with?"

Maurice somewhat expected the Beast to display some anxiety like he had the night before. But he was pleasantly surprised when the Beast let out a soft chuckle. The Beast surprised himself by reciprocating the embrace much more naturally and without hesitating.

"I just can't get away with anything in the castle I'm the master of, can I?" he said in his dry sense of humor.

"Not this time," Maurice said with a smile.

The Beast again walked towards the door, this time resting a paw on the knob. He then turned to face Maurice once more.

"Maurice are you comfortable here?" he asked. "Belle says you're an artist. That you paint and make music boxes. If you want to do that sort of thing, I can ask the staff to look around for materials for you. I don't know what we'd have, but if it's something you enjoy doing we should see what we can do to make that happen. You won't have to sell at the annual market or anything, but perhaps you'd still like to do that sort of thing...art?"

"I would actually," Maurice said. "Perhaps I'll take Philippe back to the old house in Villeneuve and collect all my tools and materials and things."

"Hmm," the Beast said thoughtfully. "I'd suggest we consult the mirror first. Sounded like Agathe planned to curse the whole village. Which means your house may be having strange things going on. What to you say we check that tomorrow before deciding if going there is wise?"

"Sounds good," Maurice agreed.

"Okay, well, goodnight, and thanks again."

"Goodnight," Maurice said.


	16. A Cursed Village

**Okay sorry for the delay. But here's a chapter that actually is, again, pretty Maurice/Beast-centric, though we do see a bit of Belle, and we also get a peak at what has become of the villagers since Gaston's curse went into effect. We find out what some of the villagers have become.**

 **Thanks to GodlyJewel for helping me a bit with PTSD symptoms and how Belle, being the independent person she is, might try not to let on to her loved ones just how traumatized she is.**

The next morning, Belle went into her room immediately following breakfast without a word to anyone. This was troubling to Beast, Maurice, and several of the staff. But they all knew it was best to let her have her space. In the parlor, the Beast took the enchanted mirror from his pocket.

"I brought this down with me," he said to Maurice. "You still wanting to look at your house and what the situation is in Villeneuve? Like I said last night, I'd advise it before going to retrieve your things."

"Yes," Maurice said. "Should we look at the village overall first?"

"I'd say so," the Beast said. "Get an idea how things look. Show us Villeneuve."

The village appeared in the mirror. Snow told of the same year-round winter that shrouded the castle. The village was strangely devoid of humans. Various enchanted objects wandered around, seemingly at a loss without their normal jobs, all the things that keep a human society functioning.

"Wow," Maurice said. "It's like they don't know what to do with themselves."

"That's about how it was here at first," the Beast said grimly.

"Can we see the house?"

Belle and Maurice's house, like the rest of the village buildings, had taken on a rather gloomy aesthetic. Just like the castle had when first cursed.

"Nothing looks dangerous," the Beast said. "No more than the castle anyway. And here it's not so much dangerous as strange. Do you want to go? We have a carriage we can hitch Philippe to, and I can send some staff to help if you like."

"Actually..." Maurice said, "...would you mind coming with me? I know you're not into traveling lest people see you but given the condition Villeneuve is in you probably won't stick out. It would be a chance for you to get out for a bit."

"Sure I'll go," the Beast said. "But why do I have a strange feeling you're not asking me to join you just to get me off castle grounds for a while?"

Maurice sighed.

"You could tell huh?" he said.

"Mmm-hmm," the Beast responded. "Just like you could tell last night that I didn't just call your name to say goodnight."

"Here's the thing," Maurice said. "The enchantment may not be dangerous. But the villagers may not be too pleased to see me. They'll associate me and Belle with you and Belle and I were already outsiders. Me less than Belle but still I don't know how warmly I'll be received. You probably won't be really, but you know a few things about dealing with animate objects. And of course there's Gaston. That's my biggest concern. Not just what he might do to me but what I might do to him. I might just need help keeping my temper in check."

"Oh," the Beast said. "We might have to help keep each other's tempers in check."

"I hesitate to tell you this since you wouldn't have wanted your chance at humanity destroyed before its time," Maurice said. "But I've got a tempting idea to find Gaston's rose and rip every last petal off so he can always be the miserable creature he became for what he did to my daughter."

"Well you're right I wouldn't have wanted my chance destroyed," the Beast said softly. "But I don't blame you. I know why you'd want to do that. I'd be lying to say I don't find that idea tempting myself. But remember it's not just Gaston under the curse. I know the enchantress meant to punish others for their unkindness. But there are definitely innocent people effected. Children, for instance. The priest Agathe said she regretted having to transform. For the sake of those who are innocent, let's not ruin any chance they have prematurely. The chance for me and my innocent staff has passed but at least we had that chance for the intended duration. I hate to think how devastated everyone would be if the rose had been destroyed." He paused for a moment, remembering his panic at catching Belle near the rose. "That first night," he said, "the first night of Belle's tenure, the staff had put her in a proper bedroom, as they had hope she'd break the spell which could never happen with her locked in the tower. I did not share their hope at that point. She decided to do some exploring. I caught her in the west wing by the rose and panicked. I was afraid our hope might be gone, for us all. And that was before I really had hope that she could learn to love me. Before I gave much thought to the plight of the others. Let's not be the cause of dashed hopes for the villagers."

"You're right," Maurice said. "You have a wisdom that can only come from going through something like you have."

"You're wise too Maurice," the Beast said. "Wiser than I, seeing as I'm now just getting around to not being a fool."

"Do you remember what I said last night?" Maurice asked. "About looking upon yourself with compassion? How might you rephrase what you just said that would be more kind to yourself?"

"Hmm," the Beast said thoughtfully. He thought for a moment. He wasn't quite sure how to phrase something about himself in a compassionate way. Finally he spoke awkwardly. "I guess I am pretty wise for learning from my mistakes and trying to correct what I can and not repeat them? No. That sounds like boasting."

"No," Maurice said. "Boasting is what you do to point out to others how great you are at things and tends to be superficial and lacks any humility. What you just did was recognize and point out to yourself something for which you can feel good about yourself. "

"You two seem to be getting along well."

Startled, Maurice and the Beast turned to see Belle in the doorway.

"How are you?" Maurice asked.

"Fine," Belle said.

But something told both Maurice and the Beast that she was putting on a brave face. They exchanged concerned glances.

"I'm glad to see you getting along so well," Belle said. "I know things started poorly between you so I'm glad I don't have to worry about you two."

"Beast and I are planning to head out to Villeneuve," Maurice said. "To the old house to get my things for making music boxes and painting. Anything you want from there?"

"Oh Papa," Belle said, fear in her voice. "No. Don't go there. I don't know what the villagers will do if they see you. And I don't even want to think of what might happen if...he finds you."

"That's why I'm going," the Beast said. "To make sure he stays safe."

"But you'll both be in danger," Belle said. "Beast you might... _he_ might kill you."

"In the state Agathe put him in I don't think he'll pose much threat," the Beast said. "But we'll be careful."

"I wish you wouldn't," Belle said. "I can't lose either of you. But I understand you want your supplies Papa. Just...please be careful."

"We will," Maurice said.

"I'm going to the library," Belle said. And without another word, or waiting for a response, Belle took her leave.

Once the carriage was hitched to Philippe, the Beast and Maurice set out. They rode silently for a while until Beast broke the silence.

"I'm not sure she's doing quite so fine," he said. "She went to her room without a word after breakfast and then left as soon as she announced she was going to the library. I think she's putting on a brave face."

"I agree," Maurice said gravely.

"She said yesterday she intended to take back her ability to handle things," the Beast said. "Not let Gaston win. But how she's acting...it's like she wants us to think she's recovering but I'm not convinced. Like she's hiding her true feelings."

"I agree with that too," Maurice said. "She's so independent she wants to handle it on her own. I worry what that will do to her if she won't lean on us for support." He sighed. "I suppose as much as I've tried to always be there for her, I haven't taught her so well in this regard. Haven't set a great example. I never talked much about her mother, and when I found myself missing her I'd pull away and just deal with my grief on my own. When Belle would ask questions about her mother I'd give short answers, not wanting to go into difficult emotional territory. If something troubled her I was supportive, but I guess by not seeking her support with my troubles I gave the impression that you don't lean on others for support in your sorrow. Guess I didn't do her any favors there."

"Is that why you could never tell her what happened?" the Beast asked gently.

"I suppose so," Maurice said. "I should have. I mean I know finding out with you helped you two to bond and that's good. But I shouldn't have held it from her. But how could I tell her that I abandoned her mother while she still drew breath? The doctor said I had to flee. My wife said to go before the plague took Belle too. So I just grabbed Belle out of her crib and just left my wife to die. I was afraid she might resent me if I told her."

"Belle's not the resenting type," the Beast said. "If she were there's no way she'd love me. She'd know you did what you had to do. Plague is nothing to be trifled with."

Silence fell again until they pulled into Villeneuve.

"Sure is strange," Maurice said. "It looks like the village I've lived in for years, but doesn't."

"Kind of the same with the castle," the Beast said. "It looked like the castle I always lived in, but didn't. Took some getting used to."

Suddenly, a dunce cap hopped over to the carriage.

"Maurice," the dunce cap said, none too cordially. "Seems that daughter of yours and her reading and teaching another girl to read has put me in this embarrassing situation. Seems Agathe wasn't happy with how I ranted against Belle for teaching another girl to read while she had some contraption doing her laundry in the fountain. And my only hope of no longer being a dunce cap is for someone to love the creature that was Gaston. Now how am I to get my pupils to take me seriously? Their headmaster...a _dunce cap_!"

"Bonjour headmaster," Maurice said. "Nice to see you too."

The schoolmaster-turned-dunce cap hopped away in a disgruntled huff.

"Seems to me it wasn't Belle who caused him to be a dunce cap," the Beast said. "The enchantress might have chosen something a bit more respectable to turn him into if he hadn't ranted at her."

"Yeah but I'm sure he feels justified," Maurice said. "Female literacy is rather frowned upon around here. Ah, there's the house."

Maurice tethered Philippe outside and the two went into the house. Maurice collected some things, and the Beast was about to do likewise when a painting on the wall caught his attention.

"This painting..." the Beast said softly. "Is it...?"

"Yes," Maurice said. "That's my wife holding Belle."

"That rose looks just like the rattle Belle got when we visited your old home," the Beast said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"It is," Maurice said. With a sigh he went to take his load to the carriage. The Beast gathered some things and took them out as well. Since Maurice was first out, he was first back in. The Beast re-entered the house to find Maurice staring at the painting. Sensing the older man was troubled, the Beast came to stand beside him.

"I've failed," Maurice said. "When she told me to take Belle before the plague claimed her too she was telling me to keep our daughter safe. I knew she never really thrived here. Always mocked for her love of books which I instilled in her. But I justified staying here because here she was safe. But she wasn't. She wasn't safe from ridicule. She wasn't safe from the advances of an unwanted suitor. Then what that unwanted suitor did to her..."

"I failed on that last account," the Beast said. "That happened under my roof."

"I wish you didn't feel like a failure," Maurice said. "But I do too so I guess I haven't much room to talk. I feel so helpless. I can't even hug my daughter now."

"It's hard on both of us," the Beast said. "We both feel powerless to help her."

"What would my dear wife think of me?" Maurice thought aloud. "She never would have imagined as she watched me carry our baby away from plague danger that I was carrying her towards a different danger."

Maurice looked back up at the painting and then let a small sob escape him as he hung his head. The Beast, who had felt such anxiety when Maurice first hugged him in a paternal gesture, now found it instinctive to pull the old man into an embrace, now taking on the role of the comforter versus that of the comfortee.

"If she was anything like you or Belle," the Beast said quietly, "she'd know you did your best and would not want you to be hard on yourself. She wouldn't blame you."

"I know," Maurice said. "And she'd have loved you Beast. She'd have been pleased to know who won her daughter's heart." Maurice pulled gently out of the embrace. "I guess we should get back to loading."

A little while later, Maurice carried the last load out to the carriage. The Beast felt a bit useless being empty-handed as they exited the house for the last time. But as Maurice walked toward the carriage, the Beast, still in the doorway, looked back. He went silently over to the wall and carefully removed Maurice's painting from where it hung. He wasn't sure why Maurice hadn't taken it. He tucked it under his cloak, not sure how Maurice would respond and wanting to wait a bit before presenting it. He wasn't sure if he decided to bring the painting for Maurice's sake or Belle's. Or perhaps both.

Philippe had just begun walking when Maurice heard his name, causing him to bring his steed to a stop. He looked to see a punching bag on legs walking towards the carriage. He recognized the voice.

"Monsieur LeFou," he said. "You're...you're a punching bag?"

"I am," LeFou said. "A reminder of how I let Gaston treat me. And I think I owe you an apology. When you called on me as a witness to Gaston leaving you to the wolves I wanted to tell the truth but let him bully me. I didn't like his knocking you out and tying you to a tree, tried to get him to consider something less gruesome but he was set on it and I didn't push it. Then I caved and took his side instead of telling everybody you were right. I'm sorry."

"I appreciate and accept your apology," Maurice said. "But I could see he had you cornered there in the tavern. So I know you were in a difficult spot."

"Agathe told us all what he did to Belle to bring this curse down on the village," LeFou said. "As much as I wasn't liking what he was doing that's something I wouldn't have seen coming. Should have as long as I've known him, but didn't. We're all pretty upset with him for bringing the curse upon us."

"I imagine his current form has him off his high horse," Maurice said.

"He's keeping himself pretty drunk at the tavern," LeFou said. "He won't be doing what he needs to to break the curse that way. If it was just his curse it might not bother me so much. But I really don't wanna be a punching bag forever. And while many of us were given forms as punishment too, we all depend on Gaston to fix it. Though I think Clothilde Cogsworth being a walking statuette of a shrew quite fits her personality. The schoolmaster said he spoke to you coming in so you'd know he's a dunce cap. Pere Robert the priest at least is something honorable. He's a Bible."

"Send the Pere my regards please," Maurice said.

"I'll do that," LeFou said. "I'm hanging out with him a lot. Trying to stay out of Gaston's way. He's either angry, drunk, or both."

Once the carriage had gotten out of town, the Beast was the first to break the silence that fell after the two bid LeFou adieu.

"Clothilde Cogsworth..." he mused.

"A replica of a shrew fits her," Maurice said. "Honestly it's no wonder she isn't married."

"But I think she is," the Beast said. "She just doesn't know it. Doesn't remember because of the curse wiping the castle and all in it from local memory. Clothilde... _Cogsworth_."

"Oh," Maurice said, realizing what the Beast was getting at. "I never realized he was married. He wouldn't remember though I suppose."

"He would," the Beast explained. "The amnesia was for those on the outside. I did overhear him once saying that the one good thing about being a clock is he doesn't have to be around his shrewish wife."

"Anyone else know someone in the village?" Maurice asked.

"Mrs. Potts has a husband," the Beast said. "Chip's father. He's a local potter if I am not mistaken."

"Monsieur Jean Potts," Maurice observed. "Poor fellow is always losing things, but never can remember what."

"He's not always losing things," the Beast said sadly. "It's always his wife and child. He just can't remember that that's what he's missing." The Beast sighed. "The villagers weren't transformed...not until Gaston's curse. They're outside the area of effect of my curse, but still suffer because of it. Now you can see why I don't want to end the hope on this curse prematurely, even if I wouldn't mind Gaston remaining as he is forever. I'm only now finally seeing just how far-reaching the consequences of my actions are."

Silence fell again until they rode through the castle gates. Then Maurice spoke.

"I don't know why I didn't grab the painting," he said regretfully. "I suppose I should have."

The Beast smiled, glad he had not done something of which Maurice would not have approved.

"I wondered why you didn't take it," he said, taking it out from under his cloak and handing it to Maurice. "I didn't say anything until now, not sure if you left it intentionally. But I thought maybe you would want it."

"Thank you Beast," Maurice said, accepting the proffered painting. "I very much appreciate you getting that."


	17. Belle Causes Concern

**Okay, glad folks liked the last chapter. Here's a relatively short one where Beast and Maurice convince Belle to let them help her through this. Which I think will be a nice segue into the next chapter where Belle and Beast can have a talk about things.**

Once everything was unloaded from the carriage, the Beast and Maurice ran into Cogsworth and Lumiere. The Beast decided to see if his earlier suspicions were correct.

"Cogsworth," he said, "am I correct you have a wife in Villeneuve? One that wouldn't remember you but you were married as a human right?"

"You are correct Master," Cogsworth said. "I remember those days. My days off weren't much better than those spent here under your or your father's employ. Uh, no offense Master. It is an honor serving you now."

"None taken," the Beast sighed. "I know all too well how difficult I was to you all. I shudder to think about it, seeing how now you're more like family to me than servants. But your wife...if I may ask...what is her Christian name?"

"Clothilde."

"Clothilde, right," the Beast said. "When we were told what form Clothilde Cogsworth had taken under Gaston's curse I immediately suspected it may be your wife."

"And what form would that be?" Cogsworth asked.

"She's a statuette of a shrew from what we're told," the Beast said.

"A shrew?" Cogsworth asked. Then in a voice laced with dramatic woe, he continued. "Oh my poor, dear Clothilde, having to go around looking like a shrew. Oh my poor wife." Then, his voice changed to that of one quite pleased with the situation, as he gave a clap of what passed for hands. " _Perfect_!"

Beast's suspicion now confirmed, he changed the subject to something much more important.

"How's Belle been doing while we were gone?"

"We are concerned, Master," Lumiere said. "She went into the library, but isn't there. Mrs. Potts says she won't answer a knock at her door."

"I imagine she just needs her space," Maurice said, though he couldn't keep his worry completely out of his voice.

"How was the lunch and dinner we sent for the ride?" Mrs. Potts asked, rolling up on her tea cart.

"It was nice, thank you," this from Maurice.

"I've tried to offer Belle tea or get her for meals, but she's no longer in the library and I didn't want to intrude when she didn't answer the knock at her bedroom door."

"We'll let her rest for the night," the Beast said. "But if she doesn't show for breakfast we'll have to investigate."

"The poor dear," Mrs. Potts said. "She may well be reliving what happened to her and not wanting us to see it. She's so independent she won't want to lean on us for support. But she'll need to eventually. Hopefully sooner than later."

"We know," Maurice said gravely.

The Beast did not sleep very well that night. He finally took up the mirror early the next morning and asked for Belle's image. He hoped to find her sleeping peacefully in her bed. Seeing that, perhaps he could get a couple hours of sleep before breakfast. But he groaned when he saw her sitting in the dark and dismal attic she spent her first months of life in.

 _The portal book_ , he thought. _She's used it to go where she can be truly alone._

The Beast sighed. Hopefully Belle would return for breakfast. If not he'd have to tell Maurice where she was. And they'd have to go there, if she'd left the book on the table instead of carrying it with her. The Beast put his head in his paw, deeply troubled by what he had seen. He felt utterly helpless.

At breakfast, Maurice could tell the Beast was deeply bothered by something.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's Belle," the Beast said, not even trying to hide the anguish from his voice. "I looked in the mirror a couple hours ago and-"

"So you know where I've been," Belle said entering the dining room.

"Belle!" the Beast cried out in relief. "Yes I know where you were. Had you been there since your father and I left?"

"Pretty much," Belle said.

"Where?" Maurice asked.

"I..." Belle wasn't sure she wanted to burden her father with the information. "I took a little trip. With the portal book."

"Care to tell me where?" Maurice asked. "Because wherever it was, Beast seems quite troubled by it."

"You wouldn't want to know." Belle said.

"Try me," Maurice urged. "Because my daughter is suffering. And so is the closest thing I have to a son, who is watching you suffer and feeling powerless, as am I, to help. And I want to know what he saw in that mirror that has him looking like he's aged five years overnight."

"Trust me Papa," Belle said, "you'll only be more troubled to know. I can assure you it's somewhere safe, and somewhere Beast has been once. I'm glad you've bonded so well you see him like a son Papa. That helps me, both of you should know that. I know with everything I'm dealing with I don't have to worry about you two getting along. And I know you two have each other for support. I know this isn't easy on either of you."

"Do you not see you're in need of support?" the Beast asked. "You say you're fine but then spend almost twenty-four hours so sequestered without food. And your father deserves to know where you sequestered yourself. If you won't tell him I will. Would you prefer that I tell him? If it would make it easier for you not to have to tell him..."

"Paris," Belle said. "I was in the attic. Where I was born. I guess to feel closer to Maman. Why were you so concerned about that Beast?"

"Probably for the same reason you expected your father to be troubled," the Beast said. "It's a small, dark, crumbling attic with a discarded doctor's mask to tell the tale of the plague that took your mother. I suppose you picked a place that matches your mood and thoughts, didn't you? Dark and dismal. Even the mask represents the trouble that plagues you, doesn't it?"

"I didn't want you to know," Belle whispered, tears threatening to spill out. "I am always the one who can handle what comes my way. That's what I want you to see. I've been reliving what happened to me and trying to hide it from you so as not to worry you."

"Belle," the Beast said softly, "you worry us by trying not to worry us. It's not like you to hide away for so long. That tells us you're not doing well. And then we feel helpless because we want to support you but you won't let us."

"I feel like I'm losing you Belle," Maurice said. "Please let us be here for you. And if you have to go off somewhere...tell us where you're going and don't miss meals. Better yet take one of us with you, so we can know you're all right."

"Yes please take someone with you," the Beast said. "If you'd rather take one of the ladies, I'm sure Mrs. Potts or Plumette would accompany you. But going off on your own like that scared us Belle."

"I'm sorry," Belle said. "I didn't mean to scare you. But what do you want me to do?"

"Let us support you," Maurice said. "I know physical contact is too much for you and it's hard enough for both of us to not take you into our arms. But at least let us know how you're doing. At least tell us honestly when you're troubled. I suppose I haven't been the best example for you. When I'd be missing your mother I'd just deal with it on my own. I guess I've given you the idea that you should carry the full weight of your sorrows on your own. But I think this is more than you can handle by yourself. The weight of it is crushing you."

"What can you do?" Belle asked. "What can my telling you if I'm not doing well do besides make you worry?"

"I hope," Maurice said, "that we can be a source of strength for you."

"You both have been," Belle said. "You Papa when the villagers would mock me. And you Beast, I can't think of who I'd have preferred to have with me when I learned my mother's fate."

"Do you not think we can help you in that way with this?" the Beast asked.

"I'm sure you could," Belle said. "But not without yourselves becoming burdened in the process."

"I think we're more burdened by not being able to help you than if you allowed us to be your support," the Beast said. "Or someone. Would it not help to talk about what's going on to someone?"

"It would," Belle admitted. "Beast, would you join me after breakfast? In the attic in Paris?"

"Of course," the Beast said. "If you are sure you want to be there."

"I'm sure," Belle said. "It does reflect quite adequately how I'm feeling."

"Thank you Belle," Maurice said, "for allowing one of us to help you. I'm here too whenever you need me. Don't be afraid to come to me."


	18. A Talk In The Crumbling Dusty Attic

**Okay, here we go with a chat between Beast and Belle. This was an interesting one to write. Thanks to those who've commented.**

 **To address concerns by a guest reviewer (and I hope I'm understanding the gist of your comment, I'm not sure if there was a system glitch or what but it looks like parts of sentences may have been lost and/or it jumps around a bit, so I'm responding to what I think you're saying). I do understand that Belle is strong and independent. And under normal circumstances she probably would be able to get through the situation without having to lean on others. But what she went through was traumatic to such a degree that I'm trying to be realistic with the fact that it's fairly inevitable that she'd be going through some sort of PTSD, which isn't something one can just bounce back from as quickly as she might ordinarily be able to. I am trying to address the fact that she's responding in a manner not in her usual character by making her aware of that fact.** **Also while she doesn't need Beast and Maurice's permission per se, it is _because_ she is behaving uncharacteristically that they would naturally be alarmed. **

**Also, I realize that canonically the curse is lifted, and I do try to be as canonically accurate as possible when writing fanfiction, but I think anytime one writes an alternative ending, it's impossible to remain 100% canonically accurate. For instance Belle canonically takes the mirror back to the village. My alternative ending starts with her leaving the mirror with Beast. I like to explore what if scenarios, which is probably true of anyone who writes an alt. ending fanfiction. While I do believe in paying attention to canon, if extra-canonical things never happened in fanfiction, we probably wouldn't have much if any fanfiction.**

 **Hope that makes sense.**

 **To another guest reviewer, I'm pretty unlikely to write a Gaston/Belle romance, since I can't really picture that pair working...not happily anyway. While I just said to another reviewer that it's difficult to impossible to write alternative endings (or plots in the case of a Gastelle story), having Gastelle be a truly happy pair would require more of an extra-canonical leap than I'd be comfortable making.**

The Beast looked around the dark and dusty room where he and Belle had both learned the fate of Belle's mother. It had been a bonding moment for them. The Beast realized on this return visit that when he had apologized for calling Belle's father a thief, the reason he had imprisoned Maurice, then Belle in his place, that was probably the moment at which Belle had unofficially ceased to be his prisoner. Though that didn't mean much until he had officially released her from his captivity. And now Belle was a prisoner again, held captive by the trauma of what Gaston had done to her. The Beast wished he could free her this time. But he couldn't. And it hurt. All he could do was try to lend her his strength until she could be strong enough to free herself from her emotional prison.

"What are you thinking?" Belle asked, pulling the Beast out of his own head.

The Beast turned toward her and sat in a chair facing her. She sat on what had been, somewhere around a couple decades ago, her mother's deathbed.

"That I wish I could free you from the prison of what happened to you," he said softly. "I set you free from my captivity and after you freely returned I could not keep you safe from what seems like a worse kind of captivity."

"If I could choose between the two types of captivity I'd choose to be your prisoner any day," Belle said. "Of course if I could choose between captivity or freedom of course I'd choose the latter. It's when I was finally able to love you...when you set me free."

"I suppose when you pointed out the difficulty of being happy if not free my letting you go was inevitable," the Beast said. "Even if we hadn't discovered your father in trouble I don't think my continuing to keep you from freedom would have sat well with me much longer after that. I could scarce believe my ears when you said you planned to freely return just moments after I'd released you. You said you felt safer at the castle than the village. I'm just sorry you weren't."

"That's not your fault Beast," she said. "Had you known he was there when he was and that I was in trouble you'd never have stood for it. Though your life probably would have ended. It almost did."

"If my life ending could have kept you safe and free," the Beast said, "I'd have never hesitated laying myself down."

"He'd have still had his way," Belle said. "And you're right it is a prison. Not one with walls but one inside my own mind."

"I wish I could free you from it," the Beast whispered. "But since I can't...will you let me in with you? Tell me about what you're going through? It's nothing you should bear alone."

"I know you're right," Belle said. "You and Papa both. It's more than I can handle on my own. But I try. I don't want to trouble either of you or anybody with it. But I'm glad you're here. I want to let you in, but for your sake, I don't. I guess I'm conflicted."

"We're more troubled watching you try to struggle on your own than we could ever be if you accepted our support," the Beast said. "That doesn't go for just your father and myself. Everybody in the castle is concerned."

"Are you sure you could handle it though?" Belle asked.

"I'm sure," the Beast said. "It will be better for you if you talk about what's bothering you. Perhaps then you can start to heal. And can break free, eventually, of this prison." He sighed. "I know how much worse it can be to hold everything in. I've never been very open. I have you and your father both to thank for helping me to open up. I never knew how oppressive it is until I allowed myself to give voice to my sorrows and the oppression has started to lift. Please don't let yourself go years carrying the full weight of your strife like I have."

Silence fell between them for several minutes. Finally Belle broke that silence.

"I keep reliving it," she said. "I try not to but it happens. Every sound has me looking to see if it's him. He's taken over my dreams. I know you and Papa both want to hug me but thinking of it makes me think of his arms holding me where he wants me."

"I hope you realize," the Beast said, "that neither of us would ever touch you in that way."

"I know," Belle said. "And on one hand I want to be in your arms but I don't think I can without feeling like it might be his. When I took your paw the other night it was okay mostly but there were times I had to fight against the idea that maybe it wasn't your paw."

"I'm sorry," the Beast said.

"It was just such a shock," she said. "I tried to scream for help but he covered my mouth. Then dragged me off into a room and..." Belle was now speaking through sobs. "I tried to fight him off...but he was just so strong. I soon realized struggling...was for naught so...I just stopped struggling and...and just waited for...waited for him to...be done. Perhaps it's because I gave up struggling...that I came out...in better physical condition than I could have."

Belle then went into more detail of the event she kept reliving in her mind. It was not lost on the Beast that she was telling him, a male, things that a lady would usually be more likely to divulge to another female. He knew it was a testament to how deeply she did trust him. She had other females to talk to, like Mrs. Potts, Plumette, and Madame de Garderobe, the former two she could have brought here instead of the Beast. Not that Garderobe wouldn't have been willing, but, well, the wardrobe just wasn't the most portable of the castle's sentient housewares. But of everyone Belle could have chosen, several female, it was Beast to whom she was now painting a very vivid mental picture of the violation that had been visited upon her. It occurred to him, though, that this was probably not something proper for a gentleman to be hearing about. But he listened silently. If it helped Belle to recount it out loud to someone, even him, that was more important than proper decorum. Though his heart broke all over again now that he was getting a full understanding of what had occurred. By the time Belle had finished, she looked up from her lap at the Beast, whose shoulders were hunched forward and head hung low. He looked on the verge of tears himself.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I've caused you pain."

"Oh Belle," the Beast said softly, looking up. "You've nothing to be sorry about. I just wish I could take all of your pain upon myself so you don't have to endure any of it."

The Beast instinctively raised a paw off his lap and began to reach forward to Belle. His paw didn't move far before he remembered she was not ready for physical contact. At least not contact she didn't initiate like she had the other night when she took hold of his paw. He needed to let her take the lead on physical contact. With a sad sigh he let his paw drop back into his lap.

This was not lost on Belle, who leaned forward and put her hand on his paw.

"I know it's hard on you," she whispered. "And Papa. Seeing me balk at touch."

"Don't make yourself do that with which you're not comfortable," the Beast said.

"I need to push through it," she said. "As long as I can control it, can initiate and then break contact when I need to I should be okay I think."

"Don't push too hard," the Beast said.

"Truth is," Belle said, "I want...a part of me wants...to not recoil at a comforting touch. I want to let you hold me in your arms where I know I'm safe. But I never know when my mind will turn your arms into his." She sighed. "I'm not sure how I manage to confuse his hands with your paws. It's like your arms have furry dinner plates with clawed fingers attached. No offense."

"None taken," the Beast said.

"I don't know why I'm faltering," Belle said. "I'm usually strong and independent and don't really _need_ to lean on others for support. Not to this extent anyway. I'm strong and independent. I rise above difficult situations. I should be able to handle this on my own without crumbling. Without worrying everybody. What happened to the person who pushed her father out of a cell when he found himself imprisoned in a beast's tower, again no offense, and slammed the door on herself?"

"That strong, independent, and _very_ brave woman hasn't gone anywhere," the Beast said. "She just went through something more traumatic than she's able to handle on her own. But the Belle we all know and love is still here. And I've no doubt she will come through this stronger than ever."

Silence fell for a few minutes. Belle took her hand from the Beast's paw. She patted the bed next to her, gesturing for him to move next to her. He hoped that she would replace her hand on his paw once he was in his new position, but she did not. They sat in silence for a few more minutes before Belle spoke again.

"What...what does he look like?"

"Huh?" the Beast asked, not sure of whom she spoke. "Who?"

"Do I have to say his name?" she asked. "Not sure I'm ready for that yet. What did Agathe do to him? Or did she remove him to the village before transforming him? I just wondered...if he looks like you?"

"Oh," the Beast said, now knowing she was asking about Gaston. "Not much like me. He has the mane and horns to remind him of who he tried to kill. But other than that...well I thought she made me look ugly. But I actually look halfway decent in comparison."

"For what it's worth," Belle said, "I think you look more than halfway decent. I think your look suits you."

"Yeah that was kind of the point of the curse," the Beast said.

"Oh no no no," Belle said hurriedly, realizing how what she said must have sounded. She put her hand back on his paw. "Beast I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I mean it looks good on you. The fur, the horns, it's part of your charm."

"Oh," the Beast said. "Charm, eh? Well I can safely say that wasn't the point of the curse."

"You looked alarming at first I admit," Belle said. "And acted just as alarming. But as you allowed your gentle soul to come out I saw beyond your exterior but it's still part of who you are and I've come to quite like it." After a pause she brought the subject back to Gaston. She was rather curious about what became of him. "So what does he look like? Besides the mane and horns?"

"Well," the Beast said, "she said he thinks he's large and in charge but is actually quite small for what he did. So he's now about four feet tall. The mane is the only thing he has for hair. The rest of him is covered in sickly green snake scales. With the forked tongue of a snake as well. Oh and because only a slimy person does what he did he has a frog's skin secretions. Monkey arms, chicken legs. And, because of the pig he is, ears, snout, and curly tail to match."

"Well you warned him someone might come along and teach him a lesson in creative ways," Belle said.

"That I did," the Beast said. "And she did not withhold any creativity from him."

"What's the nature of the curse?"

"Mostly the same as mine," the Beast said. "Though she changed a couple things. No amnesia causing those outside to forget those inside the village. And no progressive worsening of the curse. Should the deadline pass, everyone will remain as they are. None of the villagers will become inanimate objects."

"And the terms for lifting the curse?"

"Same as for me," the Beast said. "He has a rose that will eventually wilt. He must learn to love another, and the enchantress was very clear that his obsession with you does not qualify as love, and earn that person's love returned. Before the last petal falls."

"He'll have his work cut out for him," Belle said. "He'll have to change who he is. You had to change, but that change really involved letting go of your pain and anger and the barrier you put around your heart to guard against more pain. You had years of pain built up. Your situation can be summed up as a case of 'hurt people, hurt people'. With Gaston-" She stopped, surprised his name fell out of her mouth. "Well I'm not sure there's much good in him to find by peeling back the layers. He'll have to change _who he is_ at the _core_ I suspect. That might just be beyond him."

"It's hard to imagine any good existing within a soul capable of what he did," the Beast said slowly. "I would hope...that even at my worst...I would never have stooped that low."

"You wouldn't have," Belle said. "Of that I am sure."

"Would you hope he'll manage?" the Beast asked out of curiosity. "You know, to lift his curse?"

"I don't know," Belle said honestly. "Part of me says he deserves to remain as he is forever. But the other part of me knows I must forgive. I'll never truly heal if I nurse a grudge. Besides...before I got to know you or anything about you, about how you ended up earning the curse, the thought of you being deserving of redemption never would have occurred to me. I'm sorry to say that because now I know the man you truly are. But when I first met you that man was hidden deep beneath layers of, well, beastliness."

"I know," the Beast said. "Honestly I do question if I deserve your love. Or your father who has taken it upon himself to be the father figure my own father failed to be."

"I'm not one in the habit of giving my heart to someone undeserving," Belle said. "Neither is Papa. If he chooses to share his paternal affection with someone it is because he deems them worthy."

"I know," the Beast said. "He wishes I'd see myself in a compassionate light. Hard sometimes but I'm trying. But this is about you and your healing. Let's not make it about me."

"You have healing to do too Beast," Belle said. "You've years of pain to heal from. And that will help me, trust me. Seeing you and Papa bond as you are is more of a comfort than I can say. It will help you both. And it helps me."

"It's a little strange how we've all changed each other," the Beast mused. "I never thought as I dragged the man I took for a common thief to my tower that he'd one day offer me comfort in my sorrow, or that I'd ever offer the same for him."

"What do you mean?" Belle asked. "About offering the same?"

"When we got to your house in Villeneuve I saw the painting of your mother holding you," the Beast explained. "I came back in after taking some things to the carriage. He made it in before me and I found him just staring at the painting. He felt he'd let her down by not keeping you safe. He was troubled and I just hugged him without thinking about it. Just came naturally."

"I'm glad you were with him," Belle said. "I wasn't happy about either of you going but I know he wanted his things. It's good he had you there. Thank you for that." She paused for a moment before continuing. "And thank you for coming with me and listening to me. I know I told you things that a lady shouldn't speak of to a gentleman, and I hope you weren't too uncomfortable. You probably thought I should have Mrs. Potts or Plumette with me. Perhaps that would have been proper, but I couldn't think of who I'd prefer more than you."

"That's all right Belle," the Beast said, nearly whispering. "I just hope by listening to you I've been able to take some of the burden off of you."

"You have," Belle said. "I know I've pulled away and tried to hide my troubles from you. I'm so used to being independent I didn't want to admit I need help on this one. And isolation seemed so welcoming. Just being alone. But it wasn't helping that much."

"Having time by yourself isn't necessarily bad," the Beast said. "But staying isolated to the exclusion of meals and not acknowledging your struggle to others can become...what's the word? Problematic."

"I know," Belle said. "Thank you for helping me realize that. And speaking of meals, it's probably nearly lunchtime." Belle stood and said something she said the last time the two were in this very attic. "Let's go home."


	19. A Priestly Visit

**Okay here we go.**

 **I know some of you would like to see the curse fully lifted, but since the price for that to happen was too high (so high that even Agathe didn't recommend it as much as she wanted to lift the curse), that can't happen. Not without perturbing the neutrals which would probably involve them deciding to cause some kind of trouble, and I'm thinking our friends don't need anymore of that at this point.**

 **Guest reviewer, I would hope most authors make a habit of reading reviews. For me I find it keeps me on my toes. It lets me know where people think I'm going right and where they think I may be off track. Then it helps me figure out if I need to change something or better explain/address why things are happening the way they are (like your mention of Belle seeming weaker/more dependent than is in her nature prompted me to make sure I'm addressing that by making her aware that she's behaving outside of her normal character).**

 **As for romance, first Belle will need to recover a bit more before she'll be okay with physical contact especially that not initiated by her. Even when that's not an issue I do plan to have them stay within some boundaries to make sure the bestiality line isn't crossed. For example...how do I say this without saying it? I won't be having them "doing it" if you catch my drift. Hugging/cuddling and maybe an occasional, modest kiss is probably about as far as I'll go.**

 **I do understand concerns of the story going flat. I'm actually concerned a bit about that. Not so much on account of how far they'll go or not go romantically, but because I don't want too many "Belle's not doing so well" chapters that can be redundant, but at the same time don't want to have her recover faster than she realistically ought to. Already she probably will in that this probably should take years to recover from and I'm not sure the story can stretch that long without going flat. First year post-violation...she's pretty messed up...second year post-violation...still messed up but slightly less so...third year post-violation...getting better but still traumatized...etc. I probably do need to make her recover faster than she might in real life but still don't want it to be like whoa, overnight recovery! I may put in some little time skips.**

 **Part of my solution to this issue is this chapter which is mainly meant to address Belle's efforts to recover without focusing on it, and adding something a little new. I'm not sure if this was the best approach, having Pere Robert ask Beast to try to talk some sense into the man who violated the one he loves hoping Gaston's curse might be lifted. But Beast knows not everybody in the village deserves the curse being permanent and his inability to free his staff of his course has him considering it for the sake of those who are innocent (which not everybody in the village is but there are some). I think it will be interesting to see how Beast handles the dilemma this chapter hands him.**

A couple of days later, Cogsworth appeared in the library, where Belle, Beast, and Maurice were each reading in chairs.

"Pardon me for interrupting," he said. "But we appear to have a visitor that just rode into the gates. I'm thinking a cursed villager."

"Oh?" the Beast asked. He wasn't sure this was a good thing. "Are you sure this visitor is from the village?"

"Well," the mantel clock said, "What we saw out the window was a saddle on four legs, apparently a horse, being ridden by a Bible. Not something one would expect to happen outside of enchantment."

"Pere Robert," Maurice said. "I'm sure of it. The village priest. Remember Beast? Monsieur LeFou told us he was turned into a Bible."

"That's right," the Beast said. "So a safe person I presume?"

"Very," Belle said. "He's quite possibly the only villager I wouldn't be nervous to see right about now. He not only runs the church but maintains a small library within it. And was among the few who supported my love of books. Oh Beast might it be all right if Cogsworth brought him in here? He would absolutely love this library."

"Of course," the Beast said. "Cogsworth, make sure it is Pere Robert, and once confirmed would you be so kind as to show him through to the library please?"

"Right away Master," the British butler-turned-mantel clock said with a bow before leaving the room.

A few minutes later, a Bible walked in on its two bottom corners. It smiled at the three that were assembled.

"Good afternoon Belle, Monsieur Maurice, Monsieur Beast," he said warmly.

"Bonjour Pere Robert," Maurice said. "How do you do?"

"I am well thank you," he said. Then he turned to Belle. "How are you Belle? We heard...what happened to you. How are you faring?"

"I'm...coping," Belle said. "I practically shut down at first. Tried to handle things on my own as I'm used to doing. But I couldn't and Papa and Beast could see that. I'd be a complete disaster without them."

"I'm glad you have them," the priest said. "And as a priest I'd be remiss not to remind you you've got God on your side as well. We were never meant to struggle alone."

"I know," Belle said. "Thank you for that reminder. By the way, how are folks in Villeneuve coping with the curse?"

"We're all coping," Pere Robert said. "Some of us better than others."

"I hear that Gas..." Belle paused. "I'm sorry. It's still hard for me to say his name. Gas...ton... I hear Agathe made him quite the spectacle."

"She did," Pere Robert said. "Actually part of why I came is to discuss that. I was hesitant, and I still hesitate, knowing he's caused such pain here. But I sort of wanted to ask a favor of Monsieur Beast, if that's all right. If it wouldn't be too upsetting to you Belle. I suppose you'd just as soon he remain in his state for what he did to you. So you might not want me asking Monsieur Beast for any help in breaking the curse, and I understand if you would wish to stay well out of any such business Monsieur Beast."

"I know I mustn't hold a grudge," Belle said. "It's hard but I know I have to forgive. I'm sure as a priest you understand that."

"I do," Pere Robert said.

"Part of me wouldn't mind him remaining in his state," Belle said. "But if I'm to forgive him I can't wish his fate to be permanent. I question if he'll be able to make the necessary changes to reverse the curse, but I wouldn't have thought Beast capable, yet he came so close, only failing to break the spell on account of unfortunate timing. So who am I to judge another person's prospects for redemption?"

"I admire your courage and wisdom Belle," Pere Robert said. "Most people in your shoes would be so traumatized."

"Oh I'm traumatized," Belle said. "I tried to isolate myself which has done me no favors. Beast and Papa must still at times encourage me not to isolate. And I recoil at being touched even in a comforting way because my mind makes me think it's _him_ touching me sometimes. If I initiate physical contact I'm mostly okay but it's slow going. I know it's hard on Papa and Beast but they're careful to respect my boundaries."

"That is good," Pere Robert said. "Very important."

"What were you wanting to ask Beast?" Belle asked.

"Are you sure it's all right with you Belle?" the priest asked.

"I'm sure."

"And you Monsieur Beast?" Pere Robert asked. "Is it all right with you?"

"It is," the Beast said. "Though I do not know that I can be of help. The change has to come from within Gaston. And please, dispense with the Monsieur title. I am just Beast. Just the Beast."

"All right mons...uh, Beast," Pere Robert said. "I know he has to make the changes. But he's not doing much to that end. Actually he's doing nothing to that end. He's very angry, and/or drunk. And while I understand if you might not care to see him return to human form, we are all counting on him if we're to become human again. While some of the villagers have forms meant to punish their own deeds, like the schoolmaster who is a dunce cap, it's Gaston's punishment that binds us all, and only his redemption can free us. We all are paying for his sins."

"I realize that," the Beast said with genuine sympathy. "And I'm sorry about that. But I'm not sure what you think I can do."

"Well," the priest said, "I was sort of hoping...with your experience of bringing a curse upon your castle with your actions, that perhaps you might be willing to have a talk with him?"

"I tried that," the Beast said, "when I came to stop Belle and Maurice being committed. It didn't do much good, seeing how a few days later he stooped to a lower level than I ever could have at my worst."

"He didn't heed your warning," Pere Robert said. "And it was a very good speech that had me quite impressed to hear. Too bad he didn't follow your advice. I'm hoping though that now he's tasted the consequences you warned him against he might be more receptive."

"I don't know," the Beast said. "I was a real piece of work when I became the Beast. I was quite angry. Didn't really take to drink but I did nothing either to break the curse. Wasn't until Belle showed up here that I had any hope. Or that I started caring about what my staff were suffering on my account."

"The regret you warned of?" Pere Robert asked.

"That's right," the Beast said, shame filling his eyes.

"It still plagues you," the perceptive priest observed.

"It does," the Beast said. "I'm sure it would even if the curse were to be lifted. Perhaps less so but what I've done was appalling."

"Perhaps," Pere Robert said, "you can use your experience and what you've learned to help reach Gaston?"

"I am not sure," the Beast said. "I...I'll need to give it some thought. After what he did to Belle I can't say helping him is something I'm particularly inclined to do. I'm not sure if I can be so easily forgiving. Hypocritical of me I suppose. It's hard because I watch Belle suffer and know he caused that suffering. The only reason I would _consider_ talking to him is for the sake of the rest of you who are looking at remaining cursed forever if he doesn't do what's needed. I couldn't free my staff of my curse. If I try to reach Gaston, it will be in hopes he'll one day free you all of his. But talking is all I can do. I cannot make him change. I don't even know if he _can_ change. But there was a time I thought I couldn't change. I'm rather conflicted. I don't know. I need time to think about it Pere."

"Understandable," Pere Robert said. "Agathe said the rose would bloom for several years before wilting over several more years. So it's not an emergency. I just hope he starts making effort sooner rather than later. I thank you for considering it, even if you ultimately decide to abstain. I will take my leave."

"Wait," Belle said. "What do you think of Beast's library Pere Robert?"

"Quite grand," the priest said. "I imagine you're still finding more new places to go than my meager collection has to offer."

"That reminds me," Belle said. "The last book I borrowed was in my dress pocket when I came here. So it's in my room. Allow me to fetch it for you."

"Ah you keep it," Pere Robert said. "I'm sure there's a copy in this library but I can't very well carry it. No hands you see."

"I see," Belle said. "Well if Beast does go to the village I'll have him bring it back."

"What for?" the priest asked. "Only you made use of my little assortment of books, and since a lot of the villagers are now objects that lack hands, I don't think they'll be starting to read anytime soon. Besides, I insist it is yours now."

"Well thank you," Belle said. "You're the only one from Villeneuve besides my father who supported my love of literature."

"I wish the others were more open," Pere Robert said. "I quite admired you trying to teach another girl to read at the fountain. I was sorry to see how that was brought to such an abrupt halt."

"Me too," Belle said.

"I really should head back," Pere Robert said. "I'd like to make it back to Villeneuve before nightfall if I can. Belle you are in my prayers. And Beast, I hope I'm not too out of place with my request. Please know I do understand should you decline. Maurice, I hope you find it better here than in Villeneuve. You don't need to be in a place that would so easily throw you in the asylum. Good day to you all."

"I'll walk with you to the door," the Beast said. "Or find Cogsworth or Lumiere to see you out."

"Ahem," Cogsworth said. "I'm here. Shall I take the good Pere to the door?"

"Yes," the Beast said. "Thank you Cogsworth."


End file.
